Let’s play word association. What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say vacation? How about tropical beach vacation? How about… bathing suit?
Chances are, your first thoughts were positive ones. And then I dropped the bathing suit bomb, and you went into a panic. The thought of being in a bathing suit in public is intimidating, if not outright terrifying, for a lot of people.
Now I’m going to make things even worse. Let’s imagine this tropical beach vacation is four months away. Four months from right now. That’s right, you’re going to be expected to put on a bathing suit after four months of cold, dark winter.
If you’re like me, you tend to work out a little less, maybe a little less strenuously, in the winter than you do in the sunny, warm months. It’s so easy to just curl up under a cozy blanket when it’s dark at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Lacing up your trainers and going out for a four-mile session is tough when the snow is flying and the winter winds are howling. And the food! Crock pot comfort food, rich and hearty, calls my name when the year winds down.
The fact of the matter is, I’m going on a tropical beach vacation at the end of March. But the last thing on my mind is what I’m going to look like in a bathing suit. I’m not going to triple my workouts, or start some crazy cleanse or drastic diet. I’m sure that I could lose a few pounds between now and then (that I’d likely gain right back when I stop restricting food and over-exercising). But instead, I’m going to continue my life of moderation and the 80/20 rule. Except now when I’m throwing kettlebells and enjoying my oatmeal-and-blueberries breakfast, I’ll also be dreaming about gorgeous sunsets, umbrella drinks, snorkeling for the first time, and spending a week with four of my favorite people on the planet.
Life is too short to limit your fun, your joy, and your sense of adventure because of your insecurities about your body – or your fear of how it will be viewed by others. I’m going to buy a new bathing suit (or two!) and enjoy the heck out of my vacation. I hope that if you get a similar opportunity, you will too.
