My Body of Work

I've discovered a nice secret that I want to share with you.

Lately, I've been actively "thanking" my body for all the good things its done for me.

Good things, such as being able to focus my mind which enables me to tackle stressful situations and handle them successfully; having the ability to hear and see and smell and taste all kinds of delightful things; to feel the softness I've discovered a nice secret that I want to share with you.

Sounds silly, I know. But, as I have begun to appreciate my body in a very literal sense, my body has begun to return my "thanks" by slimming down a bit!

Wow! How cool is that?!?

Is this a fluke? I don't know. But I share this in hopes that if you experiment with it, you too, will experience some type of wonderful gift of gratitude back from your body.

Here's how it began...One morning, I was getting ready for my shower, and as I dropped my robe, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Amazingly, my first reaction was almost that of a separate observer - an admiring observer.

"Whoa! You look good!", my observer self said.

This initial reaction shocked me in more ways than one...a) because my normal behavior is to cast a pretty critical eye over my body, certainly not one of appreciation; and b) it was true - my body did look good. Not supermodel thin and buff; but more curvy, lush and full - a woman's figure. Not bad at all for someone my age who's had two children!

The next morning, the same thing happened again...I looked in the mirror and liked what I saw! Amazing! (Oh Vanity, thy name is "me"!).

Right then and there, I mentally "thanked" my body for looking so good.

From that moment on, it became a fun little game I played each day. "Good Morning, Gorgeous!" And even if my tummy appeared a little more full, or my derriere sloped ever downward; I would concentrate on what did look good, like "the girls", or my shoulders, or my neck, or my eyes. You get the idea...

It became a fun flirtation and one that got my day off to a good start. Getting dressed for the office didn't seem to be quite such a chore. And, I also called and made appointments for that long overdue haircut and pedicure.

"Ain't no big thing", you might say. But, when everything else seems a bit overwhelming...work, homelife, parenting...then sometimes our commitment to nurturing ourselves goes on the backburner, and then guess who ends up losing out? Yep, that gorgeous part of ourselves that keeps our self-esteem robust and healthy.

So, I've become a big fan of appreciating my body these past few months and good things have begun to happen - like the surprise of slimming down - all without much effort or stress on my part. Again, "How cool is that?!?"

I'll share more with you tomorrow.

And in the meantime, please try my little experiment when you look in the mirror today. Enjoy some mild flirtation with your biggest admirer - yourself ! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised...