Numbers lie

Anyone who works in media, politics or in most any type of company knows that quite often, numbers lie. Otherwise, fraud would not exist leaving auditors without a job and the news would be honest and objective. That isn’t the case although this post is about other numbers that lie just as bad. Numbers many people have put in their heads and have convinced themselves of their undeniable veracity: the numbers that show when you step on a scale and the ideal weight you have on your mind.

I know way too many women and quite a few men who are obsessed with this number of an ideal weight... a number that haunts them, a self imposed numerical torture of something that quite often seems just too far away a number that too often lies and does more damage than good.

Eating disorders and weight issues may arise for millions of reasons and quite often the media and ignorant people say and do things that damage others’ self worth, inviting them to hate their bodies, do binge diets and violate the healthy sanctity of one’s body for the sake of fitting into a set of jeans.

I’ve seen wonderful women who are having a good day almost brought to tears by what a scale tells them. I’ve seen guys pop pills in the interest of losing those extra pounds and getting all buff. I’ve seen people doing damage to themselves via starvation just to appease perceptions.

Here’s one of many voices telling you to please NOT listen. Instead ask yourself how you feel? Do you feel well? Do you feel comfortable? What do you see when you look yourself in the mirror?

That last question is normally the one that hurts the most because quite often it’s like people are looking into one of those crazy mirrors in a mystery mansion, except that the only mystery here is how people can so easily look past all that they have going for them.

Unfortunately, this is what leads to anorexia, bulimia, diet pills and countless other things for the sake of filling out a check list of what it is to supposedly be beautiful. Yet that’s not the worst part... the worst part is that people believe the mirror, believe those numbers from the scale and that unicorn weight they can’t ever seem to attain... and they don’t listen to the people who love them. They insist people say what they say, just to be nice.

It doesn’t matter how earnest and honest one can be, hell it doesn’t even matter that some people actually like men and women with a couple of extra pounds... this person is being lied to and the scars they insist on inflicting on themselves often reach the ones they love.

I’ve known people who have gotten to the brink of death and even renal failure because of the things they’ve subjected their bodies to and all because they couldn’t recognize the real truth... that messages they’d received had damaged their self perception almost irreparably.

As I’m often thankful to be able to say, there is hope, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it knows no numbers and has no limits and it begins by not listening to the lies you tell yourself and instead listening to others. It begins by making healthy decisions and not just weight loss decisions. It starts by listening to your loved ones and ignoring the numbers.

Hell, if surveys are anything to be let on, most people we know HATE math, ie. they hate numbers. Most people don’t believe in surveys either.Hell, ask around. They also think the media is full of it. So if you hate math, don’t believe in surveys and hate the media... then start believing in what does make sense and listen to the people that want to help you rather than impose some ridiculous notion of what it is to be beautiful.

I know women of all heights, all sizes, and all weights who are beautiful. I know guys who can make a woman melt without six-pack abs. I know beautiful people who need reminding that they are beautiful.

I know women who are so fit that they can kick the crap out of me, women who outweigh me, and thin women who don’t starve themselves who are all beautiful. I know guys who are beefcakes, I know guys who wear skinny jeans their sisters can’t put on and I know guys who could be called porkchop who are all able to love themselves and people of the same like who hate themselves.

The main difference is that on one side there are people who listen to the negative messages we’re bombarded with on a daily basis while others listen to the love they receive on a daily basis. YOu've got to remember though, there will ALWAYS be people that say things that suck... mean things, vicious things aimed to wound... Luckily, these people are like a TV and you can change the channel.

So by all means, don’t listen to numbers... they are impartial in their lies. They don’t care about you and have no idea what is best for you. Ask yourself how you feel and how you want to feel and every day take one step towards that direction. That direction holds love, spiritual enlightenment and the projection of your light onto a dark world that needs it. It's a wonderful world and you need to enjoy it as much as possible. Each, drink, exercise, be merry, laugh, party and by all means, never, ever, ever leave cake at a birthday, especially if it's your favorite flavor.

Peace, love and maki rolls.

JD

*Picture tagged from Gia on the move, a lovely blog about culture, arts and Tracey, AKA Gia, while she's on the move in this world.