You are worth it! Believe!

The past few months I have been trying to work on my listening skills.. I have been listening to the world around me to see how I can make a difference.   At my support group, there are several people who are "works in progress" just like me.. some on them have high energy and are constantly smiling and some are asking questions that make me wonder how I can help them gain more self esteem and be the most successful post op they can be.  Our support group is an open question/answer forum with pre-ops & newbies being encouraged to ask questions that the veterans or the nurse facilitator can answer.  Last month, one of the ladies asked how you deal with all the extra skin.  I replied.. SPANKX! Another one asked how to keep accountable when you feel like you haven't lost any more weight and your clothes are not fitting any different.  My suggestion was to be diligent about taking pictures and measurements so you can look back at where you have been. Hang a picture of you that you used to like on your mirror.  Chant "I am beautiful then.. and I am beautiful now." Several people gasped at my suggestion.. so I told them about my journey.. and how I and posted pictures on my Facebook account so I could keep track of me, for me.  Yes, other people can see it.. they can comment.  All feedback to date has been so uber-positive and so uplifting, I don't see that I would have taken my journey any other way.  Several people started whispering. What did I say wrong?!? That kind of made me mad.. but then as I look back on it.. I shouldn't be. What I heard was a question asked, what I didn't see is that wasn't the real question.. The real question was "How can I love me no matter what?"  That question is better left to professionals.. not me!  I try to help where I can.