Well, I entered the Bodyspace Spokesmodel Search and was super surprised when I was told that I made it to the semi-final round! I didn't expect that for sure and definitely don't expect to make it to the top 5, but it's worth a try, right? There are some amazing looking women that I'm up against, so the competition is stiff.
As I was looking at photos of the other top 20 semi-finalists the other night, I found myself thinking, "I don't look like that; my waist isn't that small; I don't have fake boobs; I don't have those abs; I'm not a competitor; I'm not that lean; I'm not that muscular; I'm not cut out for this; I'm not fitness model material."
I've found that I have a tendency to have this "I'm not" way of thinking "I'm not this, I'm not that. I'm not, I'm not." And then I realized that while there are certainly a LOT of things I'm not, it doesn't matter, because one thing is for certain: I know what I AM.
I am an athlete.
I am strong. Strong in body, strong in mind.
I am determined. Determined to reach my goals. Determined to become stronger and make myself better every day.
I am driven. Driven to be better than average. Driven to be the best version of myself that I can be.
I am passionate. Passionate about fitness. Passionate about the weights and what they can do. Passionate about helping and inspiring others to be healthy, strong, and confident.
So... maybe I don't have the best body out there, but there is so much more to me than having a perfect, ripped body. I have learned a lot this past year about what my priorities are, and I've learned that to me, it's more important to be healthy mentally, to have confidence in who you are, to not compare yourself to others, to be satisfied with your body, than it is to have the perfect physique.
One thing I know I also know about who I am is that I don't want to fit a mold. I want to be real and honest in all that I do. I won't ever pretend to have it all together or try to be someone I'm not just for the approval of others. I will always be real. I will stand for what I believe. I will always be me!
Do you ever find yourself focusing on all the things you're NOT? When you find that happening, try shifting your focus to what you ARE instead!
As I was looking at photos of the other top 20 semi-finalists the other night, I found myself thinking, "I don't look like that; my waist isn't that small; I don't have fake boobs; I don't have those abs; I'm not a competitor; I'm not that lean; I'm not that muscular; I'm not cut out for this; I'm not fitness model material."
I am an athlete.
I am strong. Strong in body, strong in mind.
I am determined. Determined to reach my goals. Determined to become stronger and make myself better every day.
I am driven. Driven to be better than average. Driven to be the best version of myself that I can be.
I am passionate. Passionate about fitness. Passionate about the weights and what they can do. Passionate about helping and inspiring others to be healthy, strong, and confident.
So... maybe I don't have the best body out there, but there is so much more to me than having a perfect, ripped body. I have learned a lot this past year about what my priorities are, and I've learned that to me, it's more important to be healthy mentally, to have confidence in who you are, to not compare yourself to others, to be satisfied with your body, than it is to have the perfect physique.
One thing I know I also know about who I am is that I don't want to fit a mold. I want to be real and honest in all that I do. I won't ever pretend to have it all together or try to be someone I'm not just for the approval of others. I will always be real. I will stand for what I believe. I will always be me!
Do you ever find yourself focusing on all the things you're NOT? When you find that happening, try shifting your focus to what you ARE instead!
Lindsay, great advice! You def look like all of those things to me! You look amazing and you have worked really hard for it... you are an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, It seems like it's so easy for women to fall into Body dysmorphic disorder through comparison, especially when they are super driven. Drive often comes from negative self talk (beating ones self up), you work harder and harder to make it go away and this helps you achieve success. The difficulty comes when that talk becomes a force of habit and ceases being a help or an accurate indicator of reality. The heart sure can be deceitful and the eyes follow!
Don't you look in the mirror and say "wow" at those abs, muscles and defined waist? I guess you would have to since you entered the contest to begin with, but still... you should know you belong on that list, you deserve to be there!
Thank you so much! I do like my body, but of course, I see all the flaws that others don't see! I don't focus on them often, only when I look at others who look so amazing do the negative thoughts. I am proud of the muscle I've gained and I'm happy with how I look! God finally helped me realize what an idol fitness was in my life and how much I was pursuing a perfect body over Him, so I never want to go back to that! Once again, thanks!
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