LEA WEST

The vision I have for myself is being confident in my body and being strong.

I wish to have clothing that fits and doesn’t require constant tugging. I wish to sit on chairs or in airline seats and not worry if the arms will dig into my sides.

I want to be able to buckle fancy shoes at the ankle without pulling muscles in my abdomen.

Where I’m at today: I forget I have a body until I do something uncomfortable. Then I’m almost surprised by the simple tasks that are giving me so much grief.

Then I avoid.

As someone who prides myself on doing hard things and my former “athlete self,” there is something about being physically unable to do simple movements that burns me to the core. It hits a nerve of disgust and I avoid like it never happened.

Sitting with that feeling is so uncomfortable, it is getting in the way of making changes. I always say you can’t change things you don’t acknowledge – and I am stuck in a cycle of avoidance and comfort.

This is my barrier to confidence.

**This is part of a series that uses “beautiful you – a daily guide to Radical Self-Acceptance” by Rosie Molinary as a model for prompts to look inward. Here’s why.**