Giving The Boot To Negative Self Image

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2M_KAqQBvk0Lately I have had to really practice what I preach when it comes to making a YOU-turn. About 2 weeks ago I was in dance rehearsal when I came down weird from a jump and hurt my foot and ankle. I knew right away something was wrong but finished rehearsal and saw the doctor the next morning. It was not good news. I had a super bad sprain of my foot and ankle and the doctor was not sure if maybe I had hairline fractures in my foot. So, I got put into a boot for the past 2 weeks.

Today I went back to the doctor and I have to stay in the boot a while longer. The good news is that my foot doesn't have fractures, but I definitely need more time to heal and I am still hurting a lot. This has caused me to have to cancel being in a special performance next week that I was really, really excited about, and it is kind of lonely having to be cooped up a lot of the time with this big hot heavy boot on my leg. I was very disappointed this morning hearing that I have to stay in the boot for a while longer and I am going to admit that I almost cried and I got really down on myself, worrying that I will be behind, and worrying that a lot of work I have done on my fitness and dance will be lost, and feeling kind of gross and not active like I usually am.

I am sharing this with you because I always say that you are not going to feel positive about yourself all the time and sometimes it is really hard to make yourself look at the bright side, and this is a really good example of one of those times. I have also complained about stupid little stuff, like not getting to wear cute shoes and not feeling that great about how I look right now when I am kind of limited in what I can put on because of my boot (I need to give it a name or something).

So my mom looked at me in the rearview mirror this morning on the way home (yes I was in the backseat, it's easier to stretch out my leg back there) and told me I was going to have to deal and to use one of my YOU-turns. We talked about what the positive things could be from this, like that I am getting to show my dance studio that I am dedicated because I have still been coming to rehearsals to watch and help and be the DJ, it gives me time to get all my summer reading projects done, and it gives me time to do some planning for this year and put together new material for my blog and research new people to IntervYOU.

Plus, I have found other ways to work out like doing push-ups on my knees so I am happy about that and I have lots of things I can wear even with my boot. My mom made me laugh because she asked me “do you do your hair and makeup with your feet? No” and she’s right because one, I can still do things that make me feel like I look nice even with an injured foot and two, I should REALLY stop complaining because there are actually beauty bloggers with disabilities who do amazing makeup and hair with their feet, or with other issues, and this is only a temporary problem that I have. It was a wake up call.

Don't get me wrong I am still pretty sad and I am grumpy about this but it could be a lot worse and I am picking myself up and looking at the bright side the best I can! So just know that even people who work hard at teaching and showing positive self image, have to work hard at applying it to themselves sometimes too. And it doesn't mean I have failed it just is part of being human and part of the process. #valYOUable

And here is a video about an amazing person Jessica Ruiz, a makeup artist who refused to let her disability affect how she felt about herself and what she was able to do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2M_KAqQBvk0