Living, Loving, Happiness

  So today I wanted to blog about motivation, loving yourself, and happiness. I have come across while doing my independent study, that some people are scared or unhappy with their body composition. What I mean by this is, body fat and lean mass (muscle, blood, organs, etc.). Some wish their body fat % was lower and they really express how unhappy they are. On the flip side, some people don't care and others are REALLY excited with their results. All I can say is to use it as motivation. It frightens me how much people focus on their body composition or their weight. The question is...how do you FEEL? 

  A volunteer group I am in (HealthWorks) that is apart of University Health Services, is doing a campaign this week to address National Eating Disorders week. We had shown a movie at the HUB at Penn State called Beauty Mark. It addresses a woman who had anorexia nervosa. We also put signs on the scales in the gyms over the # saying "You're more than just a number." We also tabled at the HUB and handed out free prizes. We had a wheel you could spin and if you answered the question correctly you could pick one item from the table. One of the items was a static cling which can be hung from a mirror, window, or car. It said "You are BEAUTIFUL." It's just a simple way to look at yourself and smile. 
  So many people get consumed into how much they weigh. I myself had been like that for a bit but I realized there's so much more to life than how much I weigh. Now, I look at how I feel and how STRONG I am. I focus on living a HEALTHY life. I think many girls and yes, guys, go through this. That is something the public thinks-->that guys don't go through eating disorders which is COMPLETELY false. The media has unrealistic expectations of us and photoshop aids in that. 

  Some of us are highly motivated and believe we can keep pushing ourselves and can always improve. I am one of them. But, there is a difference between better and unhealthy. I could go on and on about the clinical definitions of all types of eating disorders but I won't because I want to focus on looking at more than just appearance and a #. Be happy and look at all that you have accomplished. We only have one more day until the weekend! Be happy, be glad, be grateful for everything you have. 

  My challenge to you is to write one thing on your mirror that you LOVE about yourself. This will CONSTANTLY remind you when you are feeling down in the dumps of your worth. You are worth it. We all have our own strengths and this challenge is unique because it's forcing you to acknowledge a positive part of you. It will make you smile when you look at yourself :)

  Since I have started posting, many people have told me they love what I write and to continue it! I hope some of you will give me feedback and topics you would like to read about.   

  Lastly, no matter how rough it may be, try to find a reason to keep going. Try to always look at a positive in a situation! There is always something to learn in every situation we're put in.