Love...

I believe that one of the greatest obstacles we face in life is our own self.  I could go on for ages listing out all of the possible, destructive reasons for a person's lack of self esteem and self-love.  It could be neglect, abuse, the fashion industry.  It could be anything really.  And I would venture to say that most people can't pinpoint that exact moment in time when they went from happy, carefree child, to weight-obsessed, I-think-I'm-ugly child/pre-teen/teen/young adult/adult/senior.  I can't pinpoint it myself, but I do know it's been a struggle for as long as I can remember.

Of all of the lessons I've learned throughout my own weight-loss journey, by far the most important has been to love myself, no matter what.
When I look into the mirror, I see a gorgeous, intelligent, funny, caring, and sexy woman.  I see a beautiful body, and I remind myself daily to appreciate those parts of my body that I wouldn't trade for anything.  My eyes.  My hair.  My legs.  My feet (yes, my feet,  I have awesome feet).  My collar bone.  The strength and broadness of my shoulders.  My smile.
I am amazing.

Yes, I want to lose weight.  Yes, I want to tone my body.  And yes, I want to look even better than I do today.  But does that mean that I don't love exactly who I am today?  Of course not!

Loving yourself is the best thing you can possibly do to achieve your goals.  When you look in the mirror and see all of the incredible things about yourself, both inside and out, you will feel amazing.  Motivation to achieve the goals you've set forth increases.  Confidence in your abilities increases.  Your sense of self-worth and your positive attitude radiate from within, so that every single person you come in contact with feels and sees just how incredible you are!

Only when you truly love yourself, for who you are at this exact moment in time, and who you always will be, will you be able to achieve your goals in life - regardless of what they are.

Trust yourself, believe in yourself, love yourself.