It’s so easy to look in the mirror and blame our bodies for not being what we want them to be. Too skinny, too fat, too short, too tall, too wrinkly, too whatever it may be. I am guilty of this almost everyday. Why can’t I be more like this or more like that?
Ugh, what a waste of energy and time. Life is WAY too short to use up our precious time wishing our lives away.
I hate my hands. They are ugly and misshapen and they remind me of a time when I was really sick and struggling to just survive each day. I am embarrassed by them. They make it hard to do certain yoga poses because they are short and they are often painful. I waste so much energy being angry about them and trying to hide them. It’s something that I have no control over and cannot change, no matter how much time I spend wishing they were different.
We ALL have things that we want to change about ourselves, that we wish were different. But what if we decided instead to embrace the skin we are in? To celebrate our strengths and honor what our bodies have done and continue to do for us? To take some time to appreciate the things that we DO like about ourselves rather than focusing on the things that we don’t.
Gratitude can change the way we see things. And the more gratitude we can extend to our own selves, the way we see and love ourselves drastically changes.
So here goes…
I appreciate my hands for allowing me to be able to hold my husbands hand, to be able to write and draw, for the giving me the ability to cook, to stroke my dog Goldies fur…my hands do so much for me every single day. Instead of hating them, I am embracing them.
I love my arms because they allow me to wrap my family and friends tight in a nice BIG hug. They hold me steady when I am in plank, although they shake and beg me for mercy. They are strong and allow me to carry way too many grocery bags into the house (because who wants to make more than one trip?!)
I am grateful for my strong legs that are able to carry and support me from one yoga pose to the next. They supported me when I ran a half marathon and did a mini triathlon (still not sure I actually did that!), they kick and help me swim in the ocean, and they hold me steady on my stand up paddle board, which is one of my favorite things to do. They allow me to take a walk with my husband every morning and they hold me up (or at least try to) on late nights dancing with friends. And to be honest, they look pretty good in a short skirt 😉
I appreciate the way my eyes twinkle when I laugh really hard.
I appreciate my loud, goofy, sometimes very embarrassing laugh (especially when I snort LOL)
I like my smile because when I smile, others smile too. It also reminds me a little of my Mums smile and boy could she light up a room with her smile!
I am grateful for my soft round tummy because who needs a 6 pack anyway?! Goldie thinks it’s an excellent resting place for her head when snuggling on the couch and without it I wouldn’t have a place for all my favorite chocolate to go.
The thing I am most grateful about myself for though, is my heart. I know it’s not something that’s visible on the outside of my body but that’s what makes it even more special. My heart beats strong. It beats strong to keep me alive but it also beats strong with love.
Because that’s what I am good at it. Love. Maybe sometimes I love too much but in the end, none of the other things will matter. I won’t care what my outside looked like. I won’t care about my wobbly bits or my scarred bits. I will care about the love I gave and received. The lives I touched, even just a tiny bit, with my heart. The people who love me and fill my heart SO full.
So, today, when you take a look at yourself in the mirror and you are prepared to sling some insults your own way, think again. Take a moment to appreciate and be grateful for the body you’re in. The body that allows you to live, think, dream and love. The one and only body we get, for our very short time here.