Webster’s dictionary defines perception as a result of observation; a mental image or concept of someone or something. What is your perception of yourself? How do you think others perceive you? How you decide to see yourself can either make or break your journey to a better you.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, quit smoking, save money, look for a new job…perception of self plays a HUGE part of your success. According to Psychology Today:
“As far as your brain, every thought releases brain chemicals. Being focused on negative thoughts effectively saps the brain of its positive forcefulness, slows it down, and can go as far as dimming your brain’s ability to function, even creating depression. On the flip side, thinking positive, happy, hopeful, optimistic, joyful thoughts decreases cortisol and produces serotonin, which creates a sense of well-being. This helps your brain function at peak capacity. Happy thoughts and positive thinking, in general, support brain growth, as well as the generation and reinforcement of new synapses, especially in your prefrontal cortex (PFC), which serves as the integration center of all of your brain-mind functions.”
In my own personal journey to health, I have had moments of doubt, moments of negative self-perception. When those thoughts creep into my mind, I find myself not wanting to strive to do better. I begin to wallow in self-pity and in return begin to have negative thoughts. Constantly having negative thoughts can lead to self-sabotaging behaviors. This is why it is so important to keep a positive outlook. Positive thinking can increase your motivation and will help increase your energy level.
Learning not to focus on what you “can’t have” or on what you feel you are “giving up” can be hard in the beginning of your journey. You have to retrain your mind to focus on what you can have. The recipe this week is a Mexican food classic. Almost everyone loves burritos, but they aren’t always the most figure flattering. This lettuce wrapped burrito doesn’t skimp on flavor and will leave you and your family feeling satisfied and not deprived at all!
Let’s make a deal. Let’s commit to seeing ourselves in a positive light. Let’s commit to thinking positively about our journey to health and learning to reward all of our victories. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
