LEA WEST

If we are not our bodies, what is my dissatisfaction really about?

My immediate thought is my body getting in my own way. The things that are challenge and really shouldn’t be. I refuse to submit to the mindset that we get old and stop moving. Like we are supposed to live a stagnant life. As someone who likes to prove people wrong – my body is confirming that I’m falling into exactly what I fear.

Over the last 18+ years, I’ve been focused on building businesses and raising a family which leaves little left for self-care. I’ll admit that neglecting myself is 100% my doing.

So where do I go from here? How do I surface the parts of myself that have been buried for so long? It’ll take a lot, but to start, I need to commit to regular walks. That’s the right answer.

Walking daily will provide me with the following:

• Increased movement
• Daily mental breaks
• An opportunity for alone time (which is how I recharge)
• A practice that is simple to implement with low barriers (which means less excuses)

I am certain there are more benefits, like listening to music and podcasts regularly, but I need to start somewhere. This is a starting point.

**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.**