It has been a tough couple of months. I was so ready for triathlon training in January. I dove in and was working and progressing. My runs felt good. My swim stamina was improving. I was on top of the world. Six weeks into training. I got sick. As an asthmatic, I have to be careful with illness. A cold can move into my lungs and cause pneumonia. I slowed down my training (ok stopped), but it still took me three weeks to recover from the cold-- my lungs didn't heal quickly. With only three weeks left of good training, I was back at square 1. It was time to scrap the race and look forward to the next one.
I did use my extra time to think about things. My whole weight loss quest -- why loose weight to run a race that might be impossible with my asthma? Why did I care? I decided that God blessed me with a body. A beautiful one, too. I ought to respect His creation and treat it well. Fuel it properly, exercise it, keep it running (figuratively) at optimum capacity.
I have also been practicing seeing my own beauty. After years of chubbiness, I am approaching optimal weight. But I still have the negative image in my head. What is enough? When will I be beautiful? Better question, When will I allow myself to see the beauty that has always existed?
Elaine S Dalton, the leader of the Young Women of the LDS faith said, "The world places so much emphasis on physical attractiveness and would have you believe that you are to look like the elusive model on the cover of a magazine. The Lord would tell you that you are each uniquely beautiful..... When you are worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, you are confident and your inner beauty shines brightly."
Elaine "learned about what [she] now call[s] “deep beauty”—the kind of beauty that shines from the inside out. It is the kind of beauty that cannot be painted on, surgically created, or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn’t wash off. It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women." (Ensign April 2010)
Check out your eyes and see the beauty of your soul shining through. You are beautiful (me too) because you are God's creation.
Feel Pretty Today!
