Say "thank you" to yourself

By Robin P.

It was 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday and I woke up before the alarm ever rang, as usual. I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom to get ready for work. Like most mornings, I pulled the scale out of the closet to check my weight. My vision was slightly blurry so when I looked down at the numbers, I thought I had read them wrong. I blinked and looked again. I was so surprised with what I saw that I almost fell off the scale. I immediately looked at myself in the mirror, gave myself two thumbs up and whispered, "You did it! Good job! I am so proud of you!" I couldn't stop smiling. I had lost 40.5 pounds.

With a smile still on my face, I put the scale back in the closet and hopped into the shower. I stood beneath the shower head and let the warm water rinse off the coconut hair conditioner. The gentle tapping of the water on my head put me in a peaceful state. Then I started to cry.

I suddenly realized that this was the first time in my life that I had ever taken care of myself and actually praised myself for a job well done. Oh sure, I had dieted in the past but it was one week on, two weeks off, one week on, two months off. I wanted to be thinner and healthier but I didn't want to work that hard at it. I honestly didn't believe I was worth the effort. There were clearly more important things to do than take care of myself.

Since my diagnosis of pancreatitis and diabetes in November 2005, I have followed a completely different eating plan. I also began to exercise at least 4-5 times a week. The results have really paid off. I am closer to my goal weight (although I still have 65 more pounds to lose) and my blood sugar has become lower.

I started to think about how quick I am to praise and thank others but do I ever say good things to myself? Do any of us? I thank Rich for taking out the trash and making the bed before I ask him to. I tell Lillianna that I am proud of her for putting her socks in the hamper and not leaving them on the floor, putting her dishes in the dishwasher or cleaning her room. I like people to know that I appreciate the effort that they make so I never hesitate to say a kind word. I have always been a good cheerleader for other people but never for myself.

My family and friends are always full of praise for me too so why don't I say nice things to myself?

Even though young children thrive on the praise of adults, I want Lillianna to be able to praise and thank herself too. She often asks, "Mommy, were you proud of me when I made my bed, picked up my toys, put my books away, hung up my clothes?" Even though I will always tell her that I am and most times I have already hugged and thanked her before she asks me, I want to teach her early in life that the one she has to please the most is herself. I want her to be able to thank herself for a job well done.

So, the next time you are proud of something that you did, give yourself two thumbs up and a big thank you. You deserve it.

Robin P. lives with her husband and daughter in a suburb south of Boston.

Comments

[Jo]

You deserve to cheer yourself on girl, you've earned it! I'm very proud of you AND jealous because I've only lost one pound so far. lol.

Keep taking care of yourself and definately keep telling yourself what a great job you are doing. Not only in this but the other areas of your life as well. ;)

[Wicked Stepmom]

Good or you! And thanks for the reminder. ;) Like you, I praise my kids and teach them to be proud of themselves for a job well done but typically forget to do the same for myself.

[Emma]

Well done for loosing the weight, and for remembering to chear yourself on too. It sounds like you are doing a great job thanking your husband and daughter, what a great example to set!

[Kim]

Great entry - thanks for the reminder -- for both me and my child. And I'll give you a big "way to go" for what you've done for yourself.

[Nancy]

This is a great reminder. I've already taught my teenage daughter how easy it is to say (and think) "I never do anything right." It's time to change that and teach her (and myself) to say, "Good job! You are great at......."

[Rosemary Grace]

Wow! Good work for taking such good care of yourself (and for being your own cheerleader - it's hard to do that).