Getting Rid of the Scale (and Holding On to What Matters)

My family always owned a scale. Ever since I was little I remember traipsing into my parents' bathroom and finding the square, white measurement device sitting on the floor, just WAITING to be stepped on. I'd try to stand as "heavy" as possible to see if I could manipulate my weight. I'd even try standing on one leg or pushing down with my hands! The scale was just another fun toy to probe on my adventures.

As I got older, though, the scale changed meaning. Its revealing number no longer was an innocent game of exploration, but a definition of worth. Approaching the scale became a dread. What if the number went up? What if I became fat an undesirable?

After a series of events post-graduation in my early twenties, I hit an emotional and spiritual valley. Even my body revolted in the form of severe back pain that kept me from being physically active. I turned to food for comfort and noticed the scale numbers begin to rise. After a while, I just gave up. What was the point of fighting the inevitable? Worthlessness was my new identity and there was no way to escape it.

What did I do next?

I wish I could say I snapped right out of it and got over myself!

I moved to Los Angeles and fought tooth and nail to make a living in the entertainment industry. Little by little, YEAR by YEAR, I grew in confidence. I'd get a cool job, learn something new, make a friend. Everything moved on mustard-seed-sized faith.

It all came to a head three years ago. I can't explain why, but I woke up one day and was done living by the scale. I think it had to do with my little faith marinating long enough to take a great plunge.

I went to my bathroom, picked up my scale, and got rid of it. I vowed to never again be judged by the number on a scale, but by the content of my character.

I vowed to never again be judged by the number on a scale, but by the content of my character.

That isn't to say that I didn't want to look better - I did want to look better - but I knew that focusing on weight was going to be a roadblock to starting a longterm health journey. When I stepped into that gym and hired a PT expert to work alongside me, my goals weren't a number. To the pleasant surprise of my trainer, my goals were 1) better flexibility, 2) more energy, and 3) more confidence. "THAT I can work with," he said, and smiled.

Letting go of that scale was the best thing I could have done. Aside from learning better ways to assess body composition, it allowed me to focus on the health journey that REALLY mattered: perseverance through pain, resilience through obstacles, and patience through love. It was in adopting these practices that I began to see changes not only in my heart and mind, but in my body, too.

Letting go of the scale...allowed me to focus on the health journey that REALLY mattered: perseverance through pain, resilience through obstacles, and patience through love.

What's your scale?

Do you have a scale in your own life? It may not be a literal scale, but it could be some other measurement you have been using to calibrate your worth. It could be a salary, career rank, relationship status, follower number, or grades. It's the thing you would insert here: "If only I had __________. Then I'd have it made."

What if I were to tell you that obtaining that measurement will only make you happy for a moment?

If we are to seek true joy and satisfaction, we must let go of shackling comparison. If your scale is lording over you, perhaps it's time to reevaluate why you have it there in the first place. If we cannot find our worth now in where we are, then we never will.

Agreed? What's the shackling scale in your life?

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