Maybe you thought that you had to transform your eating habits or your lifestyle because others either said you should or it’s what everyone else was doing. Maybe you were exactly right for you before making changes.

Have you tried something new and ended up feeling frustrated or like you are failing at making positive change? I know I have. I guess I never really knew who I was because I was not ecouraged to be myself; I was encouraged to be who my parents wanted me to be which followed me into my adult life making a negative impact on me. I became a people pleaser to everyone – everyone except myself. I felt constantly disappointed, in myself, in others, in life.

Once I felt somewhat free of judgement I decided to attend a holistic nutritional wellness school because I was for a long time and still am, amazed by the fact that the right foods and lifestyle choices can keep your body healthy and often heal minor illness/issues. Food can make your body feel bright, strong and energized. Through attending school I’ve become more absorbed into different diets and sometimes frustrated by the contradictions of particular food’s health benefits. SInce my training I have changed my way of eating several times – basically following what others claim as healthy. The thing is, claims are ever-changing.

In the past eight or so years I kind of lost myself to conforming. As I began realizing that, I felt my head spinning with overwhelm. From that moment I decided to get back to what works for me. I thought I needed to improve my weight, my choices, my looks and all that comes with lack of self-esteem when I really only needed to change the way I thought of myself. I’ve grown tired of living with so much self-doubt. I realized not long ago that I can help others while being myself. I needed to make some changes but not drastic ones like I had done while in nutritional coaching school and long after graduating.

Think about things you have wanted to change. Make a list. Think about how you imagine yourself having made those changes. Do they fit your true self – your deepest inner being? Line your goals up with who you are. Make changes that will benefit your health and lifestyle. Don’t do what is currently popular because everyone else is doing it; don’t cave in to pressure.

Embrace the person you’ve always been. Just be you. Always strive and work toward being better than you were yesterday and let go of “everyone’s doing it” peer pressure. You were perfectly made, embrace that. We are all perfectly imperfect.

Every day, every new dawn is a chance to start over; even if that means going back to past good habits.

Stand tall, be you.