In Colbie Caillat’s most recent single Try she sings “Put your makeup on, Get your nails done, Curl your hair, Run the extra mile, Keep it slim so they like you. Do they like you?” This song is a women’s empowerment anthem that needs to be on every girl’s playlist this fall. At the end of the song she changes she leaves listeners with a question: “Do you like you?” This is a powerful question. On the surface the answer may seem obvious but deep down the answer may be much more complicated than that.
Every now and then it’s healthy to check in with yourself. How have you been treating yourself lately? Are you doing things that make you happy? In order to answer this question you will need to know what exactly makes you happy. It’s not easy finding these things but once you do you’ll be glad that you did. When you’re not taking care of yourself internally and mentally, then all the work you do externally is a waste. Before you can even begin to worry about your weight, your hair, your nails, or anything physical you have to look at what’s happening in your mind. Your physical and mental health should be your main priority, not your appearance!
Another lesson we can take away from Callait’s song and one that is always important to remember is: just because you are thin doesn’t mean that you’re in good health. To commit to good health is to commit to a lifestyle that takes time, care, and attention to all aspects of the body. If you take care of your mind and soul then a healthy body will follow!
Acknowledge the importance of how you talk to yourself (no, you aren’t crazy because you talk to yourself; we all do). Are you saying kind things to yourself? If not, think of why that is. Are you hanging around the wrong type of people? Are you in an unhealthy relationship (or friendship)? Are you making decisions that actually make you happy? One of the amazing things about being a human is our ability to change. If you find that you are unhappy with yourself today, you can be a changed person by tomorrow. Remember that you are not obligated to remain the same person that you once were.
So the next time that you’re about to bash your looks or you feel pressure from others to be “perfect,” just look in the mirror and tell yourself this: “You don’t have to try so hard, You don’t have to bend until you break, You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up, You don’t have to change a single thing.”