We carry it around day in and day out. We walk it everywhere. We sit it anywhere. We sleep in it. We eat in it. We work in it. We play in it. Do we appreciate it? I am not so sure.
On the path to self improvement, we will always be looking for ways to stay motivated, positive and encouraged. One thing we can do to help us move along this path is to show love and appreciation for what our bodies can do instead of focusing on our body's shortcomings (or perceived shortcomings).
Judging and self criticism and perhaps some unwelcome comments we once heard about our body or appearance have not served us well. Furthermore, these negative tapes that we may be playing are very defeating and destructive, e.g. "I can't wear a bathing suit until....I can't wear light colors because they make me look fat....I can't go to the gym until I lose weight...I can't go to my reunion because I might be the biggest person there" and so on.
Instead, we need to tap into some perspective and be glad that our bodies can carry us from one moment to another--from one day in and one day out, There are a lot of people in this world who would trade bodies with you. This may be hard to believe, but it's true.
What we think and what we repeat, we believe. Then, we act on those beliefs for the good or not. This is why it is critically important play a positive tape that will motivate us to keep pursuing our goals as we become best version of ourselves. A work in progress always.
I was at a sprint triathlon (cheering on my friends) this weekend. I saw one athlete with a long scar down the middle of his chest from his two open heart surgeries. My daughter, Natalie, has the same scar from her open heart surgery. I saw another athlete with his appendix scar. Recently, on facebook, I saw a tiny African American baby girl with black hair and a small patch of white hair at her forehead. She is adorable, and I can only wonder what some kids might say to her as she grows up. Right now, she doesn't know she is any different from anyone else. She is darling. And guess what--she will still be darling even when she realizes that most people she knows don't have a birthmark like that. I can only hope that someday she will appreciate it because it makes her unique and interesting. Let's hope no negative tapes start playing that interfere with her confidence, self esteem and gratitude for what she's been given. It's hers after all. She's not getting a different hairline.
A little perspective can blend into gratitude. Gratitude can blend into contentedness. Contentedness can blend into our positive, healthy truth, our life story. The time is now to be sure we are creating a positive, healthy, transformative life story that really tells ourselves and the world who we are--greatness and all.
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