Do I Make You Proud?

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel. - Maya Angelou

I'm amazed at the baggage that we, as women, so often carry.  I work with women every day, and I hear story after story of abuse, abandonment, failures and tragedies, but most of all, I hear stories of feeling inadequate.  I really think that all of us, to a certain extent, don't feel "good enough" - but for some women, it becomes a huge struggle and a lifelong attitude.

My job at a women's gym exposes that mentality even more.  As I train women and encourage them to meet their weight loss and health goals, I realize just how much their self-image has suffered over the years.  They have heard for so long, "You can't do it.  You'll just fail again.  You're not good enough."  I'll never forget the woman who told me when she joined, "I know I'm not pretty - I've always been told I'm ugly.  Even my mother told me that."  When I told her, "I don't think that at all - I think you're very pretty," she started crying.  I'm not sure if she had ever heard that before.

I want to help women lose weight.  I want to help them be healthier and look better.  But most of all, I want them to be proud of themselves.  When they walk in our doors, I want them to know that the people there are proud of them.  I want them to feel good about themselves.  I want them to know that this is one place where they won't be criticized, judged or put down. 

That's really my goal in life...as a pastor's wife, as a mom, as a trainer, as a person, I want the people around me to know that someone cares, that someone is proud, that someone loves them.  Everyone needs that.  I hope that's the kind of legacy I'll leave behind, because if I do, then I'll feel like I've made a real difference in the world.