Have you ever noticed when your self-judgment is part of a bigger pattern?

You self-judgment could be about anything, but let’s just use weight as an example.

For instance, you overeat, beat yourself up, and then feel so bad you overeat again.

Or perhaps it’s getting on the scale every morning, and berating yourself because the number isn’t going down, or isn’t going down fast enough.

Perhaps it’s looking at yourself in the mirror and only seeing the flaws.

Perhaps it’s thinking that your body is somehow different from all the others on the planet and it’s impossible for you to lose weight.

Those underlying thought patterns have probably been going on a long time. How well have they gotten you to where you want to go?

What if breaking those patterns–and getting different results–begins with changing the underlying thoughts?

One way to do that is to pay attention to when self-judgment is surfacing and ask yourself, “What is the opportunity for me here?”

Perhaps the opportunity is to learn to better care for yourself so you have more to give to others.

Perhaps the opportunity is to figure out Who you really want to be, and to grow into being that person.

Perhaps the opportunity is to stop what you’re doing and make a different choice.

Perhaps the opportunity is to start valuing yourself, Who you are, and the gifts you have for others.

Perhaps the opportunity is to begin to accept the less-than-perfect aspects of yourself and to love yourself anyway.

Self-judgment is always a signal that there is an opportunity for you, if you stop the action, quiet your mind, and look for the answers deep within. It can be scary and hard to look, but when you do, you’ll find riches instead of persecution. You’ll find solutions, gifts, and a different perspective.

Every experience and part of you has value, even the ones you judge to be “bad” or “negative.” The key is to look for the value—the opportunities—to learn, grow, make different choices, and love Who you are now—and Who you are becoming.

What can you do to begin to ask yourself, “What’s the gift in not being where I want to be?” How can you begin to change those patterns? How do the results you are getting begin to change?

Together we can do it!

Photo from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Did you fill out my rebranding survey? To show my appreciation to those of you who filled out the survey by Friday, May 25, 2012, I am giving away a $10 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. Either comment in the original post or message me to let me know you completed the survey and I’ll put your name in the drawing!