The power of LOVE - Part One

What do I mean by this? Not the love that you think.  Not passionate love with another person. Yes. That is wonderful and having it makes life even more amazing.  But, what I am talking about loving yourself. This is something I recently understood as actually being the foundation in this journey to health and fitness.  Self esteem. Integrity. Self love.  I now BELIEVE this is essential to living a remarkable life – one filled with love, health, fitness, spirituality, and all the things that make life worth living. I had been so focused, especially in the beginning of my quest, on what I ate - counting calories or counting points, or counting carbs, getting protein in my diet (I’m not a big protein lover), staying away from sweets, taking my vitamins, taking my supplements, (no love there) and of course exercising. And, I mean intense exercise. I spent many hours working out, lifting weights, doing cardio machines at the gym, walking up Euclid, doing the Mud Run at Camp Pendleton, going to The Biggest Loser Resort (three weeks worth), doing Pilates, Yoga, running, jogging, and on and on and on.  And, all of these activities are wonderful and great for the body - don't get me wrong.  But, not inspiring self loving when every time you do something you never think it is good enough, long enough, hard enough. Where is the love there?  Yep, that is what I realized I was missing - one key element from a place deep in my heart.  LOVE!  Loving myself just the way I am right now.  The way I am. I am good enough now. That is the key.  I am still working on this. But, I am making vast progress.  How many of you can truly say that you love yourself just the way you are no matter what?  This is humbling for me because I never really thought I didn’t love myself.   I always thought I did love myself, but now I realize I didn’t really love myself totally unconditionally. Now I am working on not being so hard on myself, but at the same time having Integrity.  Doing what I say I will do.  Eating healthy foods.  Loving, nurturing and nourishing my mind, body and soul.  It may sound corny, but I finally figured out that LOVE is the key.  More on love next post – love of food (Yes. Love of food. It is not the enemy!) and love of humanity.