Skip to main content

Your Body Will Never Make You Happy

Newsflash: your body will never make you happy. 

If you aren't happy with yourself or your life now but are thinking that you will be when you lose another 10 pounds, or when you get the 6 pack, or when you are a certain number on the scale, then you will be sadly disappointed. Because the thing is, once you reach that goal, there will be something else you're not satisfied with and that you want to change. It's a neverending cycle!

If you don't already have happiness within you, changing your body isn't gonna do it. Happiness goes far deeper than outer appearance, so if you're seeking it through looks alone, you will always find it elusive.

I can honestly say that my body does not bring me happiness. I was just as happy when I had more body fat as I am right now. I was just as happy when I had less muscle as I am right now. When I look in the mirror and don't like what I see, I am still as happy as on a day where I DO like what I see. Because to me, happiness is not a fleeting emotion but a deep down, inner sense of well-being and contentment that is not contingent on outside circumstances or on the way I look.

With that being said, does being generally "happy" with ourselves and our lives mean that we are always satisfied with and LOVE our bodies or that we don't have crappy days or that we're never insecure? Does it mean that we shouldn't care about our looks or that we shouldn't want to change our bodies at all? NO, of course not. It just means that overall we have a deep sense of joy in our lives that does not come from how we look.

Yeah, I will not deny that feeling good about your body makes you feel great and gives you confidence and all that good stuff. Being healthy and fit and strong does have a positive impact on my life and my overall well being, and it is one of the things that contributes to my overall sense of happiness...but it's not my main source of happiness. I know that without it, I would STILL be happy.

One thing we have to remember is that our bodies WILL change...and most likely for the worse as we get older. So if our happiness is largely dependent on our bodies looking "perfect", what happens when they aren't so perfect anymore? What would happen if one day(God forbid) an illness or accident took away our ability to workout?  You better have something beyond your workouts and your body to make you happy.

My happiness comes from being obsessively grateful about life and being content with what I have. It's knowing that I have a purpose that goes far beyond what my body looks like or how much I can squat. It's knowing how deeply loved I am by my Creator and Savior. It's the hope I have in Jesus.

My happiness has nothing to do with what I weigh. It has nothing to do with whether my abs are visible or not. It has nothing to do with if I'm muscular or if I had a good squat day. Because I know that those things do not define me. I know that those things are not  what will matter at the end of my life or when I face God someday. I know that those things will never do for me what God can do for me.


Comments

  1. Perfect timing with this post! Great reminder for me that weight loss isn't going to make me happy and be some dramatic life changer. Things will be the same in my life, I'll just be able to move a little better. I'm very content in my life right now. Just looking forward to feeling awesome!
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! That is great! Yes, health and feeling good are great goals to strive for...but they won't make us happy. Thank you for commenting!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

People always said That time would heal the pain But how can that be When mine still remains? The tears still fall At just the thought of you So I know that what they say Just can't be true As the years go by I miss you so much still  No matter how much time passes I know I always will How are you not here To ease my hurting heart? Never could I have imagined We would ever be apart My world has been shattered A piece of me is gone And all I can do is pray For strength to live on I know that one day soon I will see you again I just have to try to suffer through And make it until then

Putting My Heart Out There

Hey guys. Here's where we're at right now: Matt finished his radiation treatments last week. Did they help? I don't know. He's sleeping a lot more. Having trouble chewing and swallowing. Not eating much. Not talking much, at least not in full sentences. It's just been a slow, steady decline for the last few months. I think it was really too late for radiation....But who knows, maybe it is delaying things. We went in last Tuesday for his infusion and talked with his neuro-oncologist about everything that we've been seeing with Matt, and he decided that we're at the point now where we should discontinue treatments...I feel like it's the right decision, even though it breaks my heart knowing that there is nothing else we can do. But I feel like we've done everything. All the supplements, the diet, the chemo, the radiation... Matt has fought hard. He never gave up hope. He kept the faith. He never complained through any of this. Not once did I hea...

Why?

Why? Why do I care so much?  Why do I make sure they brush their teeth at night so that they don't get cavities? Why do I spend my own money to buy them clothes, toys and decorate their rooms, among other things?  Why do I do 5,000 loads of laundry a week to make sure they have clothes to wear to school? Why do I make sure they go to church on Sundays so that they'll be raised to know about Jesus? Why do I try to give them chores and responsibilities so that they will turn out to be decent human beings? Why do I read them a bedtime story at night, even when I'm exhausted? Why do I clean up after them constantly and cook for them and try to always have healthy snacks and food on hand? Why do I go to their sports games and practices, just to feel like the odd man out standing there awkwardly with their bio mom? Why do I give 100% of myself and make so many sacrifices for children I didn't birth? Only to be insulted and told hurtful things? To be made to feel like I'm ...