A Journey of Healing, Wholeness, and Self-Love
I had the honor of speaking at my alma mater this week, where I attended 1st through 12th grade! — and it stirred up quite a bit of emotion, that honestly I wasn’t expecting. I had the opportunity to talk with the 7th – 12th grade girls, and I found myself standing up there looking at so many versions of my younger self. They asked me to speak about body image, nutrition and our relationships with our bodies – well, of course that’s going to stir some emotions, Lauren!
I could vividly see as I walked the halls and saw their faces in the audience, the younger version of myself who once believed that being perfect and being thin were the keys to success and happiness.
It’s funny how a little walk down memory lane can open your heart in new ways. It made me want to share a little bit of my story with you — the good parts, the hard parts, and some in between. I really need a book! But hopefully this will give a glimpse, and at best, help someone feel seen and understood.
If you’re a go-getter like I was (still am…), chasing goals but feeling disconnected from yourself, maybe my journey will remind you that it’s possible to come home to yourself again — with grace, not judgment.
Looking Back: The Girl Who Thought Perfect Was the Goal
As I walked those old halls, I could see her so clearly — the girl who thought she had to have it all together, look a certain way, be a certain way, in order to be “enough.”
Perfection, thinness, achievement… I thought those things were my ticket to happiness. But really? They just kept me stuck.
And I told those young girls that I vividly remember when it all started – it was middle school — the time my body began to change.
Puberty hit, and suddenly the way people talked to me, about me, or around me, shifted. Comments from classmates, boys at school, even moms making casual remarks about “watching weight” — those messages stuck.
Before I even really knew what was happening, I learned that how my body looked was somehow tied to my value.
Maybe you can remember those moments too — when the world started telling you your body needed to meet certain standards.
If you’ve ever carried that silent pressure, I want you to hear this: it’s not your fault. And you’re not alone.
Healing My Relationship With My Body and Food
The truth is, we’re shaped early by what we hear and see — especially when it comes to our bodies. And especially as women.
I spent so many years equating my worth with the number on the scale or how others perceived me.
It took time (and lots of grace) to start asking better questions:
“What if my body was good, just as it is?”
“What if I could learn to care for it instead of constantly trying to change it?”
Healing didn’t happen overnight. And when I say this, I mean decades – my healing went into the next 20 years and it’s still in process. Because the reality is, as a woman our bodies will always change! Babies, births, hormones, LIFE!
But in time, slowly I began treating my body like an ally instead of an enemy.
If you’re in that hard space right now — wrestling with food, body image, or just feeling at war with yourself — I want you to know: healing is possible. And it’s so worth it.
Learning to Actually Care for Myself
Self-care isn’t just bubble baths and spa days (although those are lovely).
It’s learning to listen to your body.
It’s setting boundaries.
It’s allowing yourself rest, joy, nourishment — even when the world tells you to keep pushing harder.
Once I made self-care a non-negotiable, not an afterthought, everything started to shift.
Life didn’t magically get easier — but I finally had the strength and clarity to live it in a way that honored me.
Redefining Success On My Own Terms
There was a time when success to me meant: “Work harder. Be thinner. Be the best at everything.”
Now? Success looks like peace.
It looks like knowing I’m enough, no matter what.
It looks like staying connected to my body, my heart, and my values — even when life gets busy.
If you’ve been living by old rules that don’t serve you anymore, it’s okay to let them go.
You’re allowed to write a new story — one where you are already enough, just as you are.
An Invitation to Come Home to Yourself
Healing isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you’ve always been underneath all the noise and expectations. It’s about coming home to your real, beautiful, authentic self.
I’m still on this journey too — learning, growing, healing — and it’s a lifelong adventure! But not one we are meant to do alone. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the people God strategically put in my life to walk the valleys and peaks with me.
I want you to know, You don’t have to hustle your way to worthiness. You don’t have to shrink to fit in.
Let’s live lives filled with self-love, peace, and a whole lot of grace — exactly as we are. 🤍
