Day 20

Are you giving away your power?

Rather than listening to our inner voices, we tend to be swayed by the desires of other people, especially our mates. Black women suffer because many of our men have accepted a body ideal that is not our own. When they tell us that we're too fat, we try to accommodate them by crash dieting or taking diet pills. When we see them (or think we see them) wistfully eyeing thin women, something inside of us dies. We give away our power to decide for ourselves what is best for us, and we rush right out and charge a new health club membership. We want to please and hold on to what we've got, so we try to oblige our men's fantasies (or what we think they are). We only end up hurting ourselves in the long run. We are seldom able to reach the goals that they, or anyone else, may have for us. Stop giving away your power. Decide for yourself your ideal body weight. If you choose to lose weight, lose it only for you.

I will not allow anyone to make decisions about my body. I will keep my power and use it to accomplish my goals.