As you sail the seas of life, are you ready to take on the open water or are you still safely anchored near the shore - watching, wishing and longing for something to change?  Do you sometimes feel a burning desire to just pull up anchor and catch the wind?  What holds you back?

Fear Is a Direct Result of Your Self-talk

Fear of the unknown - or maybe even fear of the known - is probably right at the top of your list.  Knowing what you need to do and doing it are two very different things.  Much of fear is a direct result of your own self-talk.  Have you noticed that when you replay negative thought patterns over and over again in your mind, you actually come to believe them?  Be mindful of what you say to yourself.  What you say is what you’ll get.

Maybe you have taken the first step toward that free-sailing freedom, but something is holding you back.  Have you really pulled up the anchor, or are you just safely letting it drag along the bottom where it can snag on rocks and other debris along the way? 

What Baggage Are You Carrying?

Try this very powerful example for yourself.  Place a chair at one side of a room.  This chair represents you.  Now place a chair out of reach on the other side of the room.  This chair represents your goal.  Are you the type to always keep one hand tightly on your own chair - while reaching for your goal?  Maybe you are the type that actually drags your chair with you as you move toward your goal!  Do you get the picture?

Isn’t it time to let go of your anchor?  Meet your fears head on, take a deep breath and take that first step forward.  The winds of freedom are blowing strong.  You can do it!  Reach down, pull up anchor and catch the wind!

Glamour Magazine recently did a survey of 16,000 women on the subject of body image. Results showed that 40% of women struggle with their body image. That fact wasn’t entirely surprising, but this one was: a whopping 71% said they feel they are too fat - even though only 46% were actually overweight. Here’s where the obvious follow up question comes in: What makes women feel they are fat - when they’re not? Maybe our perception of body image has less to do with fat and more to do with - insecurity.

Body Image: What Is Really Underneath It All?

It has been my observation that many women judge their bodies strictly on how they feel they measure up in some else’s eyes - true or not. It is no secret that we are our own worst critic, and our body-image is a ready target. It is an area that we control - even if that control has become a place where we vent frustrations and disappointments.  No one is better at dishing out criticism like a woman looking in the mirror.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

When did the mirror image begin to dictate what is and is not an acceptable body-image? The mirror reflects more than body image. It reflects the very core of where we are most vulnerable. It sees us when we are alone - when our insecurities surface and we come face to face with our vulnerability.

Take another look in the mirror. Maybe you see things you don’t like. Maybe you DO think you are too fat. Well, welcome to the real world where 99% of the female population is NOT perfect! And, if you really feel that way - take the first step toward doing something about it.

See a Positive Body Image

On the other hand, maybe you will - for the first time - begin to see the things you DO like. Think back to a time when you felt lovely - when you were confident and ready to take on the world. Then, carry that image with you. While the visible image you portray to others does indeed play a part in your overall body image, it’s what you think about yourself and what you say to yourself that really tips the balance.

Your Body Image and Self-Talk

The important thing is: recognize the challenges for what they are - simply a starting point. Listen to your self-talk. Your overall body image will be a direct result of what you say to yourself. It is made up of more than just visual images. It is made up of who you really are underneath it all.