Recently, my gym shared an 8-year-old photo of me, spotlighting me as a coach. In the photo they shared, I was the thinnest I’ve ever been and had just medaled in a national dance championship.

At first, seeing my younger, thinner self made me feel like an imposter, worrying about how others might perceive the difference. Would prospective clients meet me and think I had misrepresented myself?

But as I reflected, I realized how much I've grown and accomplished since then.

I’m about to celebrate my 40th birthday, and I feel comfortable with my looks these days. My body size stabilized after a few years of using intuitive eating instead of the decades of strict meals and calorie counting that led up to that photo being taken. I like that I have some wrinkles too, because strangers don’t talk to me like I’m a high school kid anymore!

When that photo was taken, my personal training business was still struggling through its initial years, and now I’m in my 12th year of operating and really happy with what I’ve accomplished.

I’ve overcome significant injuries that I was rehabbing when I posed for that pic, and have competed 3 times since.

I’ve moved past spending so much of my time and mental energy obsessing about food and my weight, and have shifted to investing more into my relationships and experiences.

While it might be time for a new headshot, I won't let an old photo define my worth or mood. One picture can’t reflect the countless things I’m proud of doing over the course of 8 years.

Have you had this reaction to an old photo of yourself? How did you handle it?

How an Old Photo Inspired Me