Negative thoughts are like nasty addictions: they will always haunt us, always tempt us, and must be treated with a no-tolerance attitude. Negative thoughts burn holes into our hearts. They scar us. They inhibit us. They stall our lives.
The beautiful thing about addictions however is that we can choose to fight them. We gain strength and character by overcoming addictions, and the scars that they leave on us end up transforming us into something greater than we could have ever become before.
I have spent my life running from a self-destructive addiction of negative thought patterns, of not liking my body, of constantly comparing myself, and of always finding myself to fall short of “good enough.” I am no longer an addict to negative body image and I am no longer a victim to negativity, yet there are days and moments when I am gently reminded of my past. These moments are startling, but blessing in disguise, for it is when we realize what a temptation to relapse feels like that we can be most thankful for the progress that we have made. It is an internal reminder that we are no longer the people, or the addictions, that we used to be.
