You’re a failure.

You’re not good enough.

You’ll never amount to anything.

You have to be perfect.

You have to look perfect.

Any of these hitting home with you?

Photo credit: spike55151 / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

Are there other lies you’ve believed about yourself, whether they’ve been words spoken to you, or something you’ve come up with yourself? I encourage you to write them down.

As an eight-year old, I specifically remember lies being spoken to me by my third grade teacher. I took them as truth and over the years, those lies were rooted deep within me. I still find myself sometimes having to remember what the truth is.

I have struggled with my weight all my life. Because I was a larger kid, I was an easy target for the wrath of my teacher. She would often make me skip lunch, telling me how fat I was. Not only that, but there were times she would make me run laps around the playground while she shouted obscene words at me. I have to wonder today what was in her heart at that time and pray that God has set her free from the lies she believed.

I believed the lie that I would always be fat. So, what did I do? Ate my feelings away. I protected myself from others by using my weight. I was held in the trap of obesity. I desperately wanted to lose weight and have a life, but I was too scared to allow others to get close to me. The more I believed lies about who I was, the more I turned to cheeseburgers, pizza, and Mountain Dew for comfort.

Until…

I finally stopped believing the lies. I was done letting the words of others and the lies I believed control me. I lost 145 lbs. and replaced that unwanted baggage with truth.

We have to stop letting others control us. We have to take back our minds.

If you’re reading this post today and find yourself in a similair struggle, I want you to picture me sitting across from you, holding your hands, and speaking this truth to you.

You can take back your mind. You don’t have to be perfect. You are not a failure. You are loved. And this I promise you – there is hope.

In what areas are you struggling to take back your mind today?

Sundi Jo

This guest post was written by my friend Sundi Jo Graham. If it was a blessing to you, I encourage you to leave a comment for her below.

Sundi Jo is a writer, speaker, and small business owner, making her home in Branson, Missouri. She is the author of Liar Liar, a manifesto that will challenge you, change your heart, and lead you in the right direction to believe the truth about your true identity. You’ll find her engulfed in the social media world, spending time with friends and family, hanging out in a pair of jeans and flip-flops, or writing. Find Sundi Jo on Facebook or Twitter(@sundijo).