December 13, 2021: Validation

Validation. It's so human to want it. And there's nothing wrong with loving a compliment, or getting good feedback, or reading that raving review, etc.
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However... there is a line that gets crossed, that I think many of us get stuck in (I know I sure did... and still have to work on this constantly).
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That line is when we derive *all* of our worth/value/confidence from external validation. From others' approval. From perception.
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This is often where body image issues get really tangled up. We so desperately want others to think highly of us. And because we've grown up in a culture that elevates thin bodies, and demonizes fat bodies... of course we desire that thin body.
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The truth, of course, is that our body sizes are mostly genetic and entirely out of our control. AND: that our worth and value have *nothing* to do with our body size or appearance.
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So, my friends, the work is to disconnect our worth and value from external validation, from others' approval, from fitting into some mold.
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It's hard work, but rewarding and freeing as hell.
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Imagine: walking around grounded in your own value, having the confidence to take up space, be seen and heard and live your life aligned with your own core values, not needing permission from anyone else to exist as you're meant to exist.
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That is true freedom and self-worth.
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So, what can you validate for YOURSELF today?