Your Excuse: "I Don't Have Any Respect for Myself!"

The Excuse Buster: You've probably heard it said that the body is a temple for the spirit, but how often do you act in ways that truly honor and respect your body? Forget all the religious connotations and think about a temple as a "holy place" - or a place of sacred connection. Would you ever enter a holy place and throw garbage around? Would you verbally abuse the residents living there? Would you paint obscene graffiti on the walls? Most of us are horrified by the thought - but we think nothing of treating our own "temple" with such disregard.

You may be thinking, "I don't treat myself that badly," and maybe you don't. But can you honestly say that you treat your body with reverence and love? If you are like most people, you have not been taught how to do that. Most of us were taught the exact opposite; that we should always put others before ourselves. Selflessness may have its merits, but it's also important to value and love yourself.

One of the easiest ways to begin honoring yourself is by treating yourself the same way you would treat someone you loved dearly. From this moment on, vow to treat yourself as if you were the person you loved most in the world. Treat yourself as if you were someone very special, someone who should always be revered and honored no matter what - just like a holy temple is.

Make decisions that support your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. Approach your healthy lifestyle with joy and love, not rigidity and force. When you begin seeing your body as a holy place, you will find that you have a much harder time treating it carelessly. You automatically want to care for it properly, and you naturally take the steps to do so.