For most of my life, I did not own a raincoat. I often told myself it wasn’t worth spending the money on one. For the longest time, I kept telling myself that I'd buy a raincoat once I lost weight. It felt like my current size was just a temporary stop on the way to a smaller, more "acceptable" me. I didn't want to invest in something that might not fit me in the future.
But then, it hit me. Why was I waiting to live my life fully? Why was I postponing my comfort and happiness for a future that was uncertain? That's when I realized that buying the raincoat wasn't just about staying dry—it was about accepting myself and my body, no matter what size I was.
I’ve been doing a lot of personal work on body acceptance, and better yet- radical self-love. It’s hard work, but necessary work. I have also seen many of my clients rise to this occasion in our recent sessions of Courageously You. It’s been inspiring to see those clients step forward and claim the fact that they are worth being seen.
As part of my journey, I’ve just finished listening to Sonya Renee Taylor’s book, The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love. In her book, Sonya describes body acceptance as “the ugly stepsister” of radical self-love. She challenged me to go beyond accepting my body as it is, and truly loving it for what it is.
About a month ago, I bought the raincoat. And you know what? It fits perfectly.
When are we going to embrace ourselves for who we are, instead of waiting for some idealized version of ourselves in the future?
Just like a raincoat protects you from the rain, truly loving your body protects you from the storm of negative self-talk and unrealistic standards.
What’s your raincoat? What’s the thing that you aren’t allowing yourself to do right now because of how you view your body? I challenge you… don’t wait. Take the horse back riding lessons. Buy the bathing suit. Wear your favorite pants. Sign up for the dance class. And yes, schedule the photo session.
You are fantastic just the way you are, my friend.
Here I am, in my raincoat. Cheering you on as always.
Tracey
