Flaws or Possibilities?

When you physically see someone, do you notice their flaws - or their possibilities? 
When you personally know someone, do you notice their flaws - or their possibilities?

In this world today, it is very easy to be negative. We are surrounded by negative influences like TV, media and other sources who may not be completely telling the truth or may be hyping some version of the truth for good ratings or for a profit. So, we get used to seeing the negative. And we get used to seeing the flaws, of those around us, of those we meet.


But what about the possibilities? 
What about the positive? 

I am not a visual person, but I am married to one. He's an artist. He can walk into a room and immediately know what color would be best, what patterns, what shapes to decorate. I walk into a room and just look around and say "huh?". I'm more of a list person who can handle the details of something or organize it. But, in my job of being a Fitness Professional, I do consider myself a visual person.

When I see a person in front of me, I see the possibilities.

You have to understand, when most people come to me, they are at their wit's end. They have tried over and over to lose weight and have failed over and over. They have cried about their weight. It is rare that I just have someone come to me and say "I want to lose a little bit of weight" and go on their merry way. Don't get me wrong, I can work with them and I will, but my heart goes out to the woman who comes to me, obese and overworked, stressed and sick, but is ready to make a change.

• She is worn down by life, but I only see the positive. 
• I don't look at the double chins, I see their eyes. 
• I don't look at the flap of skin in the back of their arms that wave when they raise their arm, I see muscles and leanness. 
• I don't look at their extended pooch in their belly, from numbered pregnancies or whatever, I see a flat smooth belly. 
• I don't see their fat asses [sorry, thought I'd be real honest today], I see a fit person. 

How is that possible? And why is that not what they see?

It is so easy to be critical of your body, especially when you are not at a place that you want to be. But, part of getting where you want to be is visualizing what you want to look like. Seeing the possibilities of where you could take your body. And I'm not talking about physical perfection either. Don't get me wrong. I'm talking about being healthy, about being fit, about looking in the mirror and loving your body. It's not about being skinny and showing off your skinny ass to everyone. It's about knowing that you are the best you can be and loving it. There is a difference.

So, what do you see? Do you see flaws? Or do you see possibilities?