A few weeks ago, I was chatting with Jacalyn, the CEO and overall amazing woman who runs UR Sportswear, about a bunch of different topic including (no surprise) women’s sportswear. There were discussions about if a medium looks too small and why some women just won’t bring themselves to buying a large.

It reminded me of something I once read from style guru Stacy London. She had said to take a marker and change all of your clothing tags to read “Size 6” if that’s your hangup. Because it’s better to wear a larger size if it fits you better. It’s more flattering, you see, to wear clothes that fit instead of trying to squeeze yourself into a smaller size which, frankly, only you know you are wearing.

Jacalyn agreed and added this:

“Fitness does not come in a clothing size.”

Amen sister.

My closet contains clothes that range from small to extra-large because I make an effort to buy what fits me, not what soothes that chattering gremlin who is never satisfied with the way I look in the first place. Truth be told, when I lost weight and my clothing size started to decrease in number, I was happy. It was an indication that I was taking better care of myself. But here’s the important part — it was only one indication. It was one mode of measurement. It did not define me. I am not my clothing size. And my clothing size does not determine how fast I run or if I can balance in Half Moon. My clothing size does not determine my strength or flexibility or sense of adventure.

I’m sensing, too, that wearing what fits me is more than just about clothing. There’s a life metaphor in there as well, one that’s worth exploring in the New Year. But in the meantime, I’ll keep running and biking and doing yoga. I’ll keep wearing the clothes that fit me. I’ll keep active and improve my fitness and health and wellbeing on a daily basis, because who I am and what I can achieve has little to do with the size of my clothing. Rather, it has everything to do with the size of my spirit.