Love Your Body Challenge – Day 226
Posted In Body Image
(Psssst! If you’re “late” to the challenge and just getting started, that’s OK too! Just go at your own pace! Start with this blog post and scroll to the bottom, and make sure you have what you need to complete the challenge and fill out the 10 questions you need to fill out before you get started. Then you can take it day by day at your own pace!)
Recap
Welcome to Day 22 of the Love Your Body Challenge! I’m glad you’re here!
Yesterday was Day 21 and the reason to love your body was,
“Because it tells your life story.”
This was one of my absolute favorite reasons because I know so many women who hide their “war marks” whether they are scars or stretch marks or wrinkles… and when they begin to think of them as something to wear with pride, their entire attitude changes.
Hear what some of them had to say:
“What an interesting and fun action step today! The morning my 80 yr old self decided to write me a letter, she was in front of the mirror admiring her facial wrinkles, giving extra gratitude to all those smile lines. My, does she have a lot of them!
We lived our life smiling, laughing, loving and being silly with our friends, family and lovers. Sometimes impulsive and sometimes foolish, but always with love and the intention of creating and spreading joy. She laughed about some of our mistakes, but reminded me that we learned from them.
She thanked me for participating in the amazing 28 Day Body Image Challenge, because it truly changed us. Her letter made me feel good about the path I am currently on, the one I recently chose. She signed it,
‘With Love and No Regrets, Kristie’”
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“Dear me,
This body held our son to say goodbye and our daughter to say hello. I held hands with my daughter, my husband, my mother, my sister, my best friends. I hugged and touched and kissed and loved. I shared and commiserated and listened and helped shoulder the burdens of my loved ones, physical and otherwise. I walked down the aisle with the man of my dreams, looked into his eyes, and spent every one of the days that followed him loving him a little more than the day before.
I was big. I was small. I was soft. I was strong. I was wrinklier and greyer every year, but never lost the sparkle in my eyes and the sweetness of my smile. I watched that little girl grow bigger and smarter and sweeter and more mind-blowingly amazing every day. And now I’m old and wrinkly and so damned happy at all I’ve gone through. Good or bad, it all made me me…and I’m really awesome.
Even better? I’m YOU. Which means YOU, you right now in this moment, with all the mess and confusion and insecurity. YOU are awesome. You are strong and incredible and mind-blowingly amazing. Make space for that. Allow it in a little more every day. Baby steps are alright as long as you’re taking them.
Love, Me.
P.S. Being an old lady rocks. You finally realize you can say and do whatever you want to. You were always free.” – Heather
Such beautiful letters! If you wrote yourself a letter, please go back to Day 21 and post it in the comments!
Now, Day 22!
Reason #22 To Love Your Body
22. Because it’s unique.
On Day 1 of the challenge, we discussed that you should love you body simply because it’s yours. It’s yours and it’s unlike anyone else’s.
I love this quote from Oscar Wilde:
There have been so many times I have felt that being myself wasn’t good enough, and I tried to be a copycat of other people. It never worked, and it made me feel horribly uncomfortable.
And then, a lovely thing happened. The more I let my true (and very strange) self shine through, the more I attracted people who actually liked me for ME, and the more they encouraged me to be myself. It was marvelous!
Same thing with my body — the more I wished that it looked like someone else’s: petite, skinny, exotic, dark, tan… the less comfortable I felt in my own skin. Once I started embracing that I was tall, thick, curvy, freckled, and fair… the more I fell in love with my body.
Today I have a very special guest sharing her journey to loving her unique self. Julia Ladewski is a strength coach, gym owner, EliteFTS Training log team member, elite level powerlifter (in 3 weight classes), and occasional figure/physique athlete. She’s also a wife, and mother, and I’m lucky to call her my friend.
I had originally asked her to participate in my Day 1 post about cellulite, but she took her own path, just like usual.
Here is her story:
“As I poured over my body, both past and present, I thought about all the things that could be my imperfections, similar to a cellulite issue.
“Well, my torso is a little blocky…” (thick abs, small chest)
But as I thought about it more and more, I realized that my biggest imperfection isn’t what you’d think. Better legs, rounder shoulders, less fat hanging over my sports bra… Sure, all those things could be better. But for me, the biggest thing that stood out as I pondered this…
Because screw what the world thinks I’m supposed to be.”
Jules just being Jules.
Mantra: “My body is unique and so am I, and for that, I am grateful.”
– my height and my shape
– my eyes and my smile
– my sense of humor and quick wit
– my (almost) complete inability to be offended
– my ability to connect with others quickly
What are yours? Write them below!
Molly Galbraith is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Coach who has dabbled in both Figure and Powerlifting competitions. She is Co-Founder of Girls Gone Strong and J-M Strength.Her life's mission is to help women give themselves grace and compassion when it comes to their bodies so that they can discover and accept what their best body looks like.
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