I have written previous blogs on “me time”, about not buying into the idea of pop culture determining the ultimate body type, and on not overextending yourself.  Now I am challenging you to take it one step further.

Was there ever a time, or perhaps more than one, where you did something not because you wanted to do it but because somebody else thought it was best for you?  I would not be surprised if the answer was yes.  Sometimes it’s easy to be scared about going after the things you want.  Whether it’s because you don’t trust your own intuition or you don’t want to fall short of someone else’s expectations, you let someone else map out your journey.

It happens with food too.  You find yourself at a restaurant with friends.  They are all ordering salads and even though you really wanted a steak that day, you jump on the bandwagon and order a salad as well.  Or perhaps you do order the steak, and one of your friends chimes in, “Steak?!  I thought you were on a diet!”  At which point you immediately change to the salad saying it was a momentary lapse in judgment.  If you want steak, have steak.  That is what intuitive eating is all about.  Honor your hunger and the desire for the food you want, and it will be easier to respect your fullness when you have had enough.

It is true for anything in life.  Focus on the things you want and make them happen. It is your journey to navigate, not someone else’s.  While you can let others weigh in on situations, know in the end that the only person’s whose opinion matters is yours.

Your turn to take action: How have other’s opinions affected you in life?