Those Three Words..

Growing up as a girl... wait, that sounds wrong.

As girls we have this label on us to be sexy, smart, good at cooking, and thin.

I work out more than the average person, I spend 5 hours a day on the softball field, and in the weight room. When I got shoudler surgery of course that all came to a crashing halt.The shoulder is so sensitive, they won't let me run sprints, or jump, or swim, nothing. It's been super hard to watch my team work out and feel like I'm lazy, but I do as much as I can. They're throwing up 125 pounds of weights, while I am using my thera bands in the corner haha. It's definitely a humbling experience when you have to psychologically work yourself up to pick up a 5 pound weight.

I am thankful that I am blessed with a desire to want to be active, I know how important it is and how hugely it can effect us in our lives in the future.

As girls, we are more sensitive to this subject, because we feel like if we aren't thin enough, or tall enough, or pretty enough that we can't accomplish our dreams, or our goals. That no one will love us or accept us.

I have definitely caught myself worrying about the number on the scale, more than how I feel about myself. I will be the first to admit (okay maybe second) that I look at girls and immediately judge them by their weight, or their hair, or their clothes. Either "I am glad I am not like that", or "I wish I had her body". I can never just be content with my own body, and I am never content with those around me either, because it's put in our heads everyday that we aren't good enough.

Today those three words that no girl ever wants to hear were said to me by a trainer (who was male). "You are Fat". But it's okay because he opened it up with "Don't take it personally". My first instinct was to be super mad because what girl was not going to take that personally, especially one who is crippled and feels like the laziest person on earth and has been doing everything she can to work out. My second reaction was to bawl my eyes out on the phone with my mom.

I then proceeded to run 2 miles, and bike 5, and I still felt the same disgusting, feeling, and those three little words playing over and over in the back of my mind. I did abs, I ran some more, and nothing changed. Too often am I telling myself "I'm fat", "She's fat", only to feel the burn of those very same words coming out of someone elses mouth.

Not only with weight, but any sort of insecurity, one person saying it can make you feel like there is no end, there is no overcoming it. No matter how simple or small that insecurity is. Our words are so important, it's the only thing that we ALWAYS have, that we can ALWAYS control. The minute we say something, it cannot be taken back. Our words are so impacting in the lives of the people we come in contact with.

For those of you feeling insecure, about weight, or anything else..know that you are not alone. Know that the girl who plays five hours of softball, weights, and conditiong a day still feels conscious about her weight. Know that there are people, all around us no matter how perfect they may seem that struggle with insecurities. It's up to us, their friends, their family, the stranger on the street, to do everything we can to build people up and not tear them down. A smile, a compliment, it doesn't matter. But no words at all are better than words of hate, judgement, or stereotypes.

YOU are beautiful. WE are beautiful. The Lord made us this way, HIS way.. and we should be proud. Weight is a number, not a way of life, not how much love we have in our hearts, or the information in our brains, or the limits to our dreams.

Next time you look in that mirror, just remember that there is at least one person, who thinks YOU are beautiful. YOU matter. What you do, what you say, what you think matters. Don't ever let three little words, or any at that take away from the goodness inside us all. There is only ONE standard that matters, the Lords.