Love Your Body Challenge – Day 443
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
Yesterday was Day 3 of the Love Your Body Challenge and it was fantastic. We talked about what it means to be strong — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. All of your responses were amazing. I felt so filled with joy reading about what being strong has done for your lives. Here are a few you might like:
”I am strong enough to be a mother and advocate for my daughter with Down syndrome, and I am proud of that.”
“I am strong enough to beat MS and I am proud of that.”
“I am strong enough to get through the grief of my sister passing away. And I am PROUD of that!!”
“Over a year ago I admitted to myself that my relationship with alcohol was slowly destroying me. I was strong enough to admit that, face it and conquer it.”
“I am strong enough to survive grief, and I am proud of that! I lost my husband 3 years ago at the young age of 46. We have four wonderful kids and I have survived! I am so proud to say that I did not let his death or my grief define me!”
“I am strong enough to leave an abusive marriage to be a single parent to a then 1 and 5 year old.”
Amazing. Just amazing.
I have to be completely honest with you all. This challenge is absolutely rocking my world in so many ways. I have spent the better part of the last 3-4 days reading this outpouring from all of you all and just crying and crying. So many heartbreaking stories are being shared — with such incredible hope behind them and triumphs in front of them. Each and every one of you are changing my life in ways I could never imagine.
Sometimes I feel so unworthy of your praise and kind words, because I, like you, am still a work in progress, and I have to fight my natural tendency to be self-deprecating. But I’m working on it, and I am so grateful for each of you.
Remember, this challenge has absolutely nothing to do with me. I am simply the facilitator. YOU are committing to the challenge. YOU are doing the hard work. YOU are making the changes. And I couldn’t be more proud.
As I said yesterday (and will likely say every day of the challenge), PLEASE if you have someone you think that might benefit from this challenge, have them join. It’s never too late. 
My mantra yesterday was:
“I’m strong enough to admit when I am wrong and apologize first. Most of the time.”
My action step was:
“I am strong enough to endure my Father’s death, and still find joy, happiness, and gratitude on the other side, and I am proud of that.”
“I am strong enough to recognize that a comfortable and good 6-year relationship wasn’t amazing, and walk away, because I deserve amazing. I am proud of that.”
“I am strong enough to do a Turkish Getup with an 80 lb. KB and I am proud of that.”
Those are some of my proudest “strength” moments.
And now, Day 4.
Reason #4 To Love Your Body
4. Because it’s a miracle.
I love the following quote by Albert Einstein.
Sometimes I just sit around and think, “what are the chances…?”
What are the chances that I was born during a time when (for the most part) women have more opportunity than ever? In a country where I have so many freedoms? To the best parents in the world? In a strong and healthy body? Into a large and loving family? With my natural talents and abilities? And on and on and on…
Now I realize each of you reading this might not have had such a rosy upbringing. There’s no doubt I’ve been extremely lucky. But when you think about the chances of you simply being conceived, and then surviving the growth process in your Mother’s belly, making it through delivery, through your childhood, and into adulthood — man, you’ve beaten some odds!
YOU ARE A MIRACLE.
Plain and simple.
You are not here by accident. I promise you that.
You have a purpose on this planet, and every single thing that you do creates a wave of effects and consequences, either positive or negative. Every thought you have, every belief you hold, every action you engage in, has a consequence.
It’s up to you whether or not you choose to engage in thoughts and actions and hold beliefs that are positive and life-giving. And if you believe that you ARE a miracle,
Mantra: “My existence is a miracle. I am not here by accident. My life has purpose and meaning, and that purpose and meaning is_______.”
(i.e. to shine and encourage others to shine, to be the best Mother to my children, to spread peace, to make my business successful so that I can give back, to take care of my family, to find a cure for cancer, etc)
Repeat this (to yourself or out loud) 10 times right now, 10 times during your action step, and 10 times before bed.
Me? I’m discovering more and more what my purpose is, and why I am here. And this challenge has a lot to do with that.
Action Step: Write down what your life’s purpose and meaning is. Write a paragraph about how you discovered it, and allow yourself to recognize yourself for the impact that you’re having and that you will have on those around you, and feel extremely proud.
If you don’t know your life’s purpose and meaning, that’s OK. Write down what you would love for it to be. In your wildest dreams, how would you impact the world around you?
Then write down a list of what you would need to do to make that happen, including one thing you can do TODAY to move closer to that. For example, if you want to be a Philosophy Professor, but you haven’t been to grad school, start researching grad schools TODAY. Make sure you repeat your mantra while you are writing these things down.
My Action Step
After writing my blog post, It’s Hard Out Here For A Fit Chick, I discovered that my biggest passion wasn’t just getting women healthy physically, but mentally and emotionally through teaching them to have grace and compassion for their bodies. My Life Coach actually said to me,
“You have the microphone, and everyone is listening. What are you going to say?”
BAM. That hit me like a ton of bricks, and I decided that the most impact I could have would involve women and body image and body embracement. So here I am. And I am extremely proud.
Checklist:
1. Make sure you’ve signed up for my newsletter so you can get links to the new challenge every morning!
2. Make sure you’ve filled out the 10 questions at the bottom of this page (DO THIS BEFORE DAY 1) so you have your “starting point.”
3. Say your mantra 10 times immediately, during your action step, and before bed.
4. Complete your action step.
5. Check in with your accountability partner if you have one.
6. Check back tomorrow for more.
OH! 3 more things —
1. PLEASE post about what you’re doing on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtags #LoveYourBodyChallenge or #LYBC. This will allow you to connect with others doing the challenge, offer support and encouragement, and get ideas for your mantras and action steps.
2. PLEASE comment below and let us know what your mantra and your action steps are each day. Again, this helps build support and community as well as offers ideas to those who might need them.
3. If you’re so inclined, feel free to send me pictures of your amazingly beautiful selves and I’ll post them in my Facebook album. It’s essentially an album of pictures similar to what my fitness professional friends and I did on Day 1. It’s a picture that you might normally not want to post, but you post it anyway along with a short blurb about your journey. You can see the album here, and you can send pictures and your blurb to: 28DayLoveYourBodyChallenge@gmail.com It’s such a supportive community of women (and men) over there. It’s awesome!
That’s all for now. See you tomorrow!
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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