If you’re on social media as much as I am, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in postings of “glow ups”. Glow ups essentially refer to the when you’ve gone from an ugly duckling to extremely attractive. The ideas of glow ups brings me back to my post about remembering what we’ve gone through as opposed to what we don’t have.

Confidence has only been something I’ve struggled with when it comes to my appearance. For most of my life, my weight has been a huge struggle. When I realized at an early age that I was significantly heavier than other kids and what it was going to take what felt like a miracle to look “normal” by size standards, I found other ways to get by.

I’d strive to be the smart one, the funny one, the creative fun, and the fashionable one… anything but the fat one. It was exhausting to maintain all those titles while knowing that my outside was still being judged by everyone, including myself.

Now that I’m older, and healthier, I’ve realized the work is far from over when it comes to getting a glow up in the confidence department. That’s where the real transformation takes place, not externally, but internally. It’s all of the little steps along the way that make a true change take place.

Cutting myself slack on my lifestyle choices, knowing I’m trying my best, and celebrating small successes are a part of the process. I’ve even caught myself when editing photos and realizing that I should be proud of my journey by showing the real me, and not going to town with the pinch tool on Facetune. It defeats the entire purpose of showing where I’ve come.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good makeover or before/after like the best of them, but glow ups are more than what we look like. I’m working on ways to find the inner glow up to reflect that I’m happier with my outside. Negative self talk has always been perhaps my biggest adversary and a lot of it is tied to my physical appearance, so it’s not going to correct itself overnight. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I  find this to be a big obstacle for a lot of us.

Let’s keep in mind that improving ourselves is never a before and after, but it’s important to celebrate how far you’ve come in whatever changes you’ve gone through!

-TW