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Friend, it is time to quit bullying yourself. 

(Yep, I said it.)

In a world of unrealistic beauty standards, where so many of us experience things like loss, acne, brokenness, or illness, it’s easy to fall into the habit of bullying yourself.

You see the women around you who don’t have issues like yours or who are experiencing the opposite of your own personal struggle and you not only begin to compare yourself to them, but you also start to critique your body and question if it’s even good.

I’ve been there before and, let’s be honest, it’s a stinky place to be!

So in today’s episode of SHE, I want to give you some encouragement that you can hold on to.

I’m digging into why it’s time to quit bullying yourself and six things to remember the next time you’re tempted to critique yourself.

Remember These Six Things

When you find yourself critiquing yourself and your body, remember these six things:

1. The reflection that you see in the mirror is truly the fingerprint of God. You are made in His image and you are a reflection of the Creator. Sometimes we fixate on what is broken and miss the fact that we also have the eternal fingerprint of God all over our being.
2. Perfect bodies don’t exist, but unrealistic beauty standards make us think they do. We are surrounded by social media, where things are curated to look beautiful and perfect. Even the curated imperfection we see a lot of can be made to look “cute.” But when the screens are taken away, none of us are perfect.
3. Your body is not your identity and your outward appearance is not the primary source of beauty. Your body is just a vessel for your true identity.
4. Someone you compare yourself to may appear to be flawless on the outside while battling an issue on the inside that may not be obvious. You never know what someone else may be struggling with.
5. You can do everything you can to steward your body, drink all the green juices, and eat all the kale, and your body will still be imperfect because we live in a broken world. Building a healthy lifestyle is work worth doing, but just remember that it doesn’t make us immune to hardships or sickness.
6. Perfection was never a requirement to live a life of purpose and to fulfill your purpose. So instead of pursuing perfection, pursue purpose.

It’s Time to Quit Bullying Yourself

If you find yourself critiquing your body, bullying yourself, or comparing yourself to others, then this episode is just what you need to kick your negative thoughts to the curb!

Tune in to this episode to learn:

• • How unrealistic beauty standards have shaped our self-view
  • The truth about your appearance and identity 
  • The importance of being surrounded by real community
  • Why stewarding your body can only take you so far
  • How to pursue a life of purpose instead of perfection

And let us know in the comments below: Which of these reminders do you find most helpful?