As I was sitting in a little nearby coffee shop, during a brief meeting, I noticed two different women sitting alone at their own tables.  One was seemingly 20-30 pounds overweight – let’s call her Mary, for the sake of addressing her more easily in this post.  The other female was thin and in shape – let’s call her Beth. 

Mary seemed to be happy, enjoying multiple conversations on her cell phone.  Between cell phone conversations, she was rather social with other people in the coffee shop near her table, as well as with the staff.  The owner stopped by her table to chat, and the counter staff went out of their way to be friendly to her.  Clearly, they knew her, but she had a warm, outgoing nature, and I imagine that she probably makes friends easily.  She did not have that too friendly, creepy factor – she just seemed genuinely nice, and people appeared to enjoy being around her.

She was not dressed particularly fashionable – just average jeans, a sweatshirt and very little make-up, yet she carried herself like the most confident woman in the world.  Beth, on the other hand, was dressed very stylishly, and had great accessories.  She wore here make-up well, and had the best shoes.  (You know – it is all about the shoes!)

Anyway, Beth did not talk to anyone, and barely smiled.  She looked at her cell phone a few times, but never dialed it, and it never rang.  She glanced at her watch several times, stared into space more often than not, and did not go out of her way to be social with anyone. 

It made me think about the misconception regarding many thin people.  Often, there is a presumption that the most beautiful, thin, and fashionable individuals must be on top of the world.  They have everything, so they must be beyond happy.  However, that did not seem to be the case, with the two women in the coffee shop.  The one with everything on a superficial level, sat alone without any joy upon her face.  The one who needed to lose some weight, and cared less about her appearance really seemed to enjoy life.

It simply proves that problems exist in everyone’s lives.  Life’s challenges do not discriminate, by affecting one person or another.  Beth could have had boyfriend problems, financial issues, or loneliness.  I think we often look at someone’s appearance and prejudge without knowing who they really are, and with the media’s portrayal of the beautiful people in the world – it is easy to fall into an inaccurate, judgmental way of thinking.

Who am I to judge Mary as being overweight at all?  Perhaps she is in great physical and emotional health, and happy with life and herself.  She may love sweatshirts and jeans, and does not have the time or the inclination to apply makeup to her face. 

I wondered how much pressure Beth might be feeling in her life.  Was she naturally thin, or did she feel the need to fit into a particular dress size according to society’s criteria?  Was she as healthy physically and emotionally as Mary?  I guess I will never know, but I hope Beth finds the happiness that Mary apparently had that day.

Losing weight can be a great thing if it is for the right reasons.  I hope that everyone who is embarking upon a weight loss plan is working on everything, from the physical to the emotional – not just the eating habits.  The results will be long lasting and healthier, if we take care of our spirits too!

Until next time – NO DEFEAT … NO LIMITATIONS!

ANGEL LOGAN

Published Author | Professional Writer

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