A Time for Flip Flops

Have you ever read the Dr Suess book called “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!?” I was thinking of that book when I started to take pictures of my feet in different places. A couple of years ago I went on my first solo trip to Denver. I thought it would be cool to start a collection of pictures of my feet in different places since I have been to so many and dream of traveling more. Even though I started taking pictures of my own feet in different places, I am normally not a feet person.

I do not like looking at other peoples feet, or touching them. As a dance teacher, I take the time to look at my dancers feet and help them with their shoes. It is very important to me that my dancers take care of their feet, so I tell them that I will look at their bare foot and touch their shoes, but I do not do that for everyone. My pointe girls especially since the shoes are expensive, and they have to do a lot of work to keep their feet healthy with the right fitted shoes.

I realized that a small part of why I started taking pictures of my feet was because they don’t change. My right foot will always be a half size smaller than my left foot – it is just how I am. My left ankle has a tattoo. I do my best to keep my toe nails looking nice since my boss lets us wear sandals in the office as long as our feet look nice. Besides that, no matter how much weight I gain or loose, my feet still look the same.

Taking pictures of my feet places is not a bad thing, unless I am using it as an excuse to avoid taking pictures of my whole self big or small in the many places that I go.

Easter pictures have recently been taken and posted. As time goes on, we change as people, and we change sizes. It takes a lot of work to be truly healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. Sometimes being healthy does not mean looking supper small. Sometimes being healthy has nothing to do with what you look like, but everything to do with where your mental state is at. Sometimes being healthy means finding a church to call home that you feel comfortable going to and encouraged to also read the Bible and pray on your own. I was not thrilled with how I looked in the Easter pictures this year. I do know that my mental state is 100% improved since last year. I went without going to church for a lot of weeks since the school and dance season started. I have been able to get up and go again for 4 weeks in a row which is a lot! I have been making time to read and talk about faith with people which I was going without. I am better mentally and spiritually. My body may not look like it did 10 years ago, but I am not the same person I was 10 years ago. My metabolism and how I handle stress is not the same as it was 10 years ago, so why do I expect to keep it the same?

There is always going to be room for improvement in at least one of the three areas of physical, mental and spiritual wellness. There will always be someone else who from the outside looks like they have it more together than you do. There is always going to be an excuse to avoid being in the pictures. There is always going to be a new trick for looking thinner, younger, stronger, wiser in photos. Take the photos, and remember to talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend when you see them posted.

“You look so much happier since you have changed jobs. I am really proud of you for making that change.”

“You look like you have so much energy now that you can get normal amounts of sleep at night.”

“You are so caring when you talk to other people and remember to ask them questions about what you talked about last time you saw them.”

“You are doing great at making time for the people who are important to you.”

Whether you need to look yourself in the mirror to say these things, or if you do better writing them down or typing them like me, take the time. Be a friend to yourself. Say more positive things than negative things. Take the photos of your feet, but also remember to get photos of your whole self, too. You are beautiful.

“Life is too short to worry about everything. If you love it, hold on. If you miss it, find it. If you’re upset, let it go. Every second you doubt yourself is a moment wasted.” – unknown

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” – Brene Brown

“If you want to improve your life immediately, clean out your closet. Often it is what we hold onto that holds us back.” – unknown