Have you ever experienced body shaming? Honestly, I never had a problem with my body. I never looked at my body as ugly or wrong. But that week, I realized how much his thoughts affected me.’
About five years ago, I went through a life-changing experience that led to several changes in my life–spiritually, mentally, and physically. I’ve always been a health-conscious individual, but that year, I decided to shift my diet to a plant-based lifestyle, also known as veganism. My decision had more to do with mental clarity. I get a lot of questions about how to transition to a plant-based diet. I know it can be overwhelming when you’re just starting out but I want to assure you that it’s possible. But understand, overall healthy living begins with your mindset.
After a traumatic relationship and a heartbreaking breakup, I knew I had to get my mind together. First, I had to balance myself, and that started with meditation. I begin healing my soul–center myself. Once I was able to center myself, I was able to understand the meaning of clean living. I understood the value of eating clean food.
Living food cleared the fog. I understand the importance of forgiveness and how it affects our thoughts. I had to reevaluate my life, taking a look at myself. It wasn’t until I took a step back and looked in the mirror–I could see my flaws. “Who is Jessica”? I had to have a heart-to-heart with myself. Asking those for forgiveness that I hurt was challenging but a powerful experience.
Sometimes we hurt people, not knowing the pain we caused. I had to clean up the temple, strategically aligning myself with the pure values of life. Such as clean food, supportive individuals. An unclean spirit must be polished before you tone the physical; this is essential to understand when it comes to healthy living. Healthy living is a combination of the mind, body, and spirit.
Fast forward to March 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic dominated our life, affecting many of us, not only financially but mentally. And I’m not talking about mental health. I’m talking about self-reflection, considering the thoughts of myself. Quarantine required us to isolate ourselves, forcing us to sit down and really reflect on life. For most, substituting the normal for the new normal, causing the reality of life to surface and sink in.
Sickness isn’t new. But the coronavirus hit many families, forcing us to witness the rapid deaths of the people surrounding us–the ones we love. I could not help but not to wonder, “Am I living my best life?” We set goals, creating a bucket list, for some, a vision board of achievable goals. Are you executing those dreams?
As an adult, I’ve always stayed active. But this time was different. I hired an excellent personal trainer, who I’ve worked with before. I also scheduled weekly time in the gym and daily workouts at home. I begin to study the functions of the body and muscles. I even pulled out my old massage therapy books from school. I really wanted to understand the body. I concentrated on understanding how my body affected me as a whole.
I don’t know about you, but this pandemic initiated a change. There would be days that I would sit pondering on past decisions and reexamining my life. The same questions I asked myself, I want to ask you. Are you satisfied with your choices in life? Are you where we wanna be in life? And, regarding goals, have you fully executed any of your desires? Regardless of the circumstances, have you put 100% into yourself?
In the fall of 2020, that’s when I decided to really take my physical fitness seriously. I’m talking real seriously. Physical fitness isn’t anything new. I was an athlete my whole life, participating in grade school and high school sports––track and basketball. The fire of competitive sports is still burning in my heart today!
On April 24, 2021, I competed in my first bikini competition, The Kentucky muscle competition. I participated in the true novice and true novice 35 plus class. The competition and the journey to set foot on that stage were among the most beautiful experiences of my life. But it was intense.
Not only that, I regained an abundance of self-confidence. I was surrounded by so many beautiful women– inside and out. I listened to their life-changing stories regarding their new bodybuilding journey. Mothers, daughters, and even grandmothers shared their rightful reasoning for participating in the competition.
A few stories stood out to me, specifically Donna’s testimony. She was almost 60 years old and she shared that this was her first competition. She was just exiting an abusive relationship. She also stated that she didn’t believe in herself—she felt insecure about her body. But the competition was a stepping stone towards her new life of healthy thoughts.
When I decided to enter this competition, I did not enter the competition to win. I entered this competition because it was something I’ve always wanted to do in my life. Life is short, and the older I get, the more I realize how we let distractions and other people’s opinions stop us from truly living. Why do we let those who are not in our inner circle affect us? Is it a habit? I despise the expressions of others altering our thoughts about ourselves.
At the beginning of my bikini competition journey, I had people doubt me. I even had a trainer tell me to face that I would never compete in a show because I was vegan and too skinny. He did tell me that I had the perfect frame, but my diet was an issue.
He didn’t stop there. “You can’t hold muscle, and you will just look skinny.” These are the things he said to me. I’ve never experienced body shaming. And honestly, I never had a problem with my body. I never looked at my body as ugly or wrong. But that week, I realized how much his thoughts affected me. Yes, it was hurtful, but at the same time, he gave me the wheel power to accomplish my goal.
Our thoughts are persuasive–persuading our ideas, opinions, and beliefs about ourselves and the world we live in. They hold the perspectives we bring to any situation or experience. Our thoughts can be negative or positive. And at times hindering us from becoming who we actually are. At times we lose confidence within ourselves. This has happened to me throughout my life, over and over again. Full of faith and a plethora of accomplishments, there are those times when I let others distract me. I’m only human.
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you; that’s not valid; words do hurt and can damage us. But the older I get, the wiser I become. I understand the essence of the school-house phrase. But it takes the power of positive thoughts, the discipline of forgiveness, and the power of love, within oneself to get through the hurt of words.
If you don’t believe in yourself, your soul is not complete. If the soul isn’t balanced with pure kindness or joy, it’s very challenging to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One must obtain mental clarity, and you have to have a pure spirit to be healthy. Healthy is happiness, and it’s more than a diet. Living healthy is a combination of a clean mind so you can produce the fruit of love and joy towards others. A joyful spirit is compassionate, leading us to understand other people’s perspectives and feelings–an empathetic soul.
All that to say, health is not only about food or fitness. A healthy lifestyle embodies the soul, creating a balance. Loving yourself, having and confidence within yourself matter. Healthy thoughts matter!
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of mentioned parties.
Jessica C. Taylor
