“Talk to him”, said the soul to the body. “He’s not listening to me. Maybe he’ll listen to what you have to say.”
“I’ll get sick”, said the body to the soul. “Then, he will take the time to listen to you.”
A few years ago, I added this quote to my mum’s Christmas card. Back then, she put it up on the wall in front of her office table so that she would be able to read those words every day. I wish I had sent them earlier. I wish I had understood them earlier... long before she passed away.
When we say we want to take care of our #health, we often associate it with being slim and looking a certain way. Toned. Fit. Like all those seemingly happy-go-lucky people smiling at us from magazines, billboards and the TV screen.
Consequently, we mainly focus on what we eat (and punish ourselves when we are ‘not strong enough’ to restrain ourselves, when we ‘give in’) and think we have to push our bodies so hard that it hurts. Cause: only when it hurts, we will see results, right?
I dare to disagree.
What we often forget is to pay attention to our soul.
What we often forget is to go inside. To listen.
How can #health be the result of punishment. Feelings of guilt. Exhaustion. Restrictions?
What if we changed our perspective?
And focused on nourishing not only our body, but also our soul.
My perspective changed when I understood that taking care of myself is NOT supposed to feel uncomfortable. Like a burden. Something you want to avoid at any price.
It’s ok to not feel like going to the gym.
It’s ok to hate #running.
It’s ok to feel too tired to prepare all meals from scratch.
It’s ok to feel you’re not ready for a 30min #meditation or #yoga session.
It’s OK.
Find out what feels right and what works for YOU!
Nobody else but YOU knows what that is. When will we stop turning to other people for advice before we trust our own intuition?
Walk, even if it is the only activity you do today.
Ask yourself what you can do to eat just a little bit more healthily today, even if that only means skipping that soda you usually have with your lunch.
Sit down for 5 minutes before you get up in the morning and focus on nothing else than #breathing.
Call a friend.
Shut that laptop just a little bit earlier tonight. Switch off the TV. Put your mobile on mute.
When there are no voices that will numb your thoughts, what will happen? What will you do?
It’s ok to start small.
Anything - really anything - is better than doing nothing at all just because you don’t have time or feel motivated to do what you think you’re supposed to do to get healthier.
It’s about the little steps.
The tiny successes that add up.
It’s about #celebrating what you can do. And actually end up doing.
Rather than finding excuses and feeling guilty for what you don’t.
Today, I would like to ask you to listen to your soul.
So that you won’t have to be punched in the face by your body tomorrow... 🙏🏼
Love always.
And be kind to yourself.
It all starts here ❤️
Tani xx
Original quote in German:
“Geh Du vor", sagte die Seele zum Körper, "auf mich hört er nicht. Vielleicht hört er auf Dich."
"Ich werde krank werden, dann wird er Zeit für Dich haben", sagte der Körper zur Seele.”
