Hey,
Insight Timer community.
Welcome to my book,
Body,
Love and Beyond,
A self-love letter for young people facing body image concerns.
And just a note to parents and other adult readers,
If you are listening to this,
I wrote this book for you as well.
Yes,
I did write this book with young folks in mind.
However,
The messages and distinctions about body image presented in this book are applicable beyond age.
So like a well-layered Pixar film,
Adults too can benefit from the level of perspective presented in Body,
Love.
So if you're even a little curious about this,
I hope this book makes a difference for you too.
All right,
Here we go.
Chapter one of Body,
Love and Beyond,
A love letter to you.
I get it.
Right now,
You feel totally trapped by this endless cycle of feeling completely and utterly diminished about yourself and your body.
And you're especially upset because it's affecting all areas of your life.
So much time spent in front of the mirror,
Poking,
Prodding,
And just wishing you looked a different way.
If only my body was X,
Y,
And Z,
Then I would be happy.
Then I would fit in with my friends.
Then that person would like me.
Then everything would be amazing and I would be at peace.
It's an obsession,
The way these thoughts consume you.
It almost becomes difficult to think about anything else.
Difficult to focus in class,
Difficult to listen to anyone,
Difficult to just be.
You think,
If only I was just better.
And thoughts like I'm ugly,
I'm stupid,
I'm worthless,
I don't belong,
No one understands me,
No one loves me,
They overwhelm you day in and day out.
And if it were just for that one thing that were different about your body,
That would change everything.
It would make all the difference and you'd no longer have any problems.
It would be the magical cure,
Right?
And not to mention the hiding.
It's not like you can tell anyone about this.
That would worry them.
They would think you're weird.
Why would you be thinking like that,
They would say.
They most definitely wouldn't understand.
So you tuck it away.
You don't tell anyone what you're going through.
You put on a smiling face,
You do your best to appear normal and never say a word to anyone.
After all,
It's superficial and shameful to have these thoughts,
Right?
It certainly looks much better.
And then you just feel lonelier.
And yet you dream.
Maybe one day there will be some magical,
Beautiful person who will come to sweep you off your feet and tell you that you're amazing and worthy of love.
They will come into your life,
Really see you and how special you are,
And then everything will be okay.
You can't wait and you're waiting until then.
Dear one,
You are not alone.
You are so not alone.
And I've got some good news for you.
Life doesn't have to be this way.
You see that thing about your body that you obsess about.
If you are actually able to change your body,
It actually wouldn't make you any happier.
There's just something deeper going on here.
The real fairy dust is self love.
And that's an inside job.
So are you ready to dive deep and explore what I mean by that?
Good,
Because I've been waiting for you.
And I'm so glad you've arrived.
Welcome to body love.
Welcome to transformation.
Welcome to a totally new perspective about what it means to live in a body.
Congratulations.
Life is about to get really fun.
Okay,
Okay.
So I know what you're thinking.
Who is this narrator and what is this apparently exciting journey called body love?
Well,
The truth is,
I'm you.
I'm the future you.
I am you speaking to you from the future.
I'm the you and the future who is free from all the body image concern.
I'm the you that's free from the totally consuming thoughts about not being pretty enough,
Not being cool enough,
Not being smart enough,
Not being enough.
Not to make light of your situation or anything,
But you'll see that where you're going through right now is one,
Totally normal,
Did I say you're not alone?
And two,
Totally surmountable.
All these thoughts that consume you,
Well,
They won't consume you forever.
Not now that you're listening to this book.
So yeah,
I'm you.
I'm the future you who is free.
I'm telling you now,
It feels good.
So good.
And you're going to be me because you are me.
Do you get it?
Okay,
Cool.
All right,
You're thinking,
But who are you really?
Well,
Yes,
I'm you and I'm me.
And I have a past story,
Probably somewhat similar to what you're going through now.
I'm here to tell you that whatever you're going through with this thing called your body,
It doesn't have to be this way.
In other words,
I'm really glad we found each other so you don't have to experience what I went through.
If you let it,
This little book will transform your life.
So my advice,
Take a deep breath and let it transform your life.
