What is it with those last five pounds that refuse to be banished into fat Heaven?
Most women I know, even the most fit, moan about the five little lines on the scale that indicate they are not at their target weight. It could be ten, seven, or even more, but it seems like I, and the rest of the female population, am never satisfied with my appearance.
The other night I was out with some friends to celebrate my (belated) birthday. We asked the server to take our picture. When the cell phone was passed around, the first thing I said was, “I look fat.” Everyone moaned, as I was the skinniest person at the table.
Ladies – why do we do that? Or am I the only one?
Think about these facts:
Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That’s about one in nine people on earth. The vast majority of the world’s hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished.1
I’m embarrassed. I’m worrying about a few extra pounds around my middle when so many go hungry regularly. It got me thinking about what other things I stress about that really don’t matter.
- The barista at Starbucks didn’t get my drink quite right and now my morning is ruined.
- Everyone else posts pictures from their wonderful vacations in exotic locales and I’m stuck at work.
- I pulled out in front of someone and they flipped me off. How dare they!
- The checker at the grocery store forgot to bag my hamburger and now I have to make meatless spaghetti.
I could go on, but you get the point. And I get the point.
It sounds trite, but I am trying to be thankful for today. Today I will be the best employee I can be. Today I will not worry about my weight. Today I will enjoy that last brownie. Today I won’t let someone else’s rudeness ruin my day.
What about you? What do you stress about that really doesn’t matter? My dad always said, “Don’t waste a good worry.”
Matthew 6:34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
1. foodaidfoundation.org/world-hunger-statistics
Jane S. Daly is the author of two nonfiction books and seven novels.
Jane is addicted to coffee, purple pens, and her husband, not necessarily in that order. A self-proclaimed introvert, she enjoys the solitude of riding shotgun in Rigsby, her 37-foot motor home. But when they pull into a new campground, her favorite thing is to make new friends and find hangouts featuring local musicians. Her fantasy involves writing lyrics for country music songs and hearing them played on the radio. In the meantime, she’ll stick to writing novels. And seeing as much of the country as possible.