30 days of self love – gifts of the body

Posted: September 2, 2010 at 8:00 am

First off I want to say thank you for the overwhelming support of this movement! I never fathomed something I care about and believe in so strongly would actually inspire so many to action. Now, we must keep that first spark flaming and build it even stronger. Stick with me to help continue to make this something beautiful to reach our inner thirst and touch the lives around us in the process.

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Do you remember the little song “my body’s nobody’s body but mine…”? We each have a unique body gifted to us. That gift values more highly than anything else in our possession. Or that we could ever possess. Yet, we tend to see our body as rags instead of riches.

What would do you if you didn’t have your hands to craft words on paper (or screen)? What would you do if you didn’t have arms to embrace a loved one? Legs to run? Eyes to experience the beauty of this world? Picture life without any single part of your body.

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Our bodies bring us so much opportunity and life. We must cherish the bodies we have, with all their quirks, soft spots, or pains. They do not deserve the abuse which we expose them to on a regular basis, both physically and mentally.

Even if they can’t do all the things we hope or look the way we desire, our bodies still require love. If you had someone in your life who supported you in every way imaginable, wouldn’t you want to show that person your appreciation? Our bodies are that entity. Let’s show them a little bit of thanks today and throughout this month of self-love.

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Once a week, we will have a day devoted to sharing three things our bodies do for us and why we love that part of ourselves. We will do this each week so we can genuinely focus on a few things at a time we appreciate about our bodies. Take a few moments to focus deeply on three aspects of your body today and thank them. I’ll go first.

I thank my heart for working hard endless hours of the day and night to pump blood through my body. Without you, heart, I would not be here to play with my daughter, love my husband, and share my message.

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I thank my smile for the kindness it shows. You may have a small gap in the front two teeth and you may not be the whitest, but that makes you (and me) unique and beautiful. I thank you, smile, for the ability you have to display my care and happiness.

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I thank my “baby place” for carrying my children. I thank you for how you know just what to do. And that you give me 9 months to prepare. 😉

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Now, it’s your turn. Reflect on your body’s gifts. Then declare… “I thank my ______” for each. Share at least one in the comment section to inspire others of the truly miraculous gifts of the body.

Quote to Reflect On
We don't stop at our skin.  ~Dolores Krieger

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*For more 30 Days Inspiration visit these bloggers who shared the message and let me know if you do so.

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152 Comments to “30 days of self love – gifts of the body”
  1. I thank my body for being able to keep me moving. No matter how stressful my life gets I know that getting myself moving ALWAYS makes me feel better!

  2. Jolene says:

    I thank my body for getting me through long runs – something I never thought possible. I also thank my body for curves, as much as I hate them sometimes, I mostly love them 🙂

    And PS – LOVE the pic of the baby bump. Adorable.

  3. Oh, I love your litte baby bump <3 It makes me want another baby!

    (But not really. I'd tear my hair out ;))

    • Tina says:

      Haha! Yea I know after this one I’ll probably be nostalgic after pregnancy at some point…but we’ll see if I let it go anywhere. I think 2 will be good for us. 😉

  4. Marg says:

    I think my eyes for letting me be inspired by the beauty in the world.

    I think my feet for taking me place to place.

    I thank my hands for allowing me to create.

  5. I thank my arms for helping my hug, my lips for helping me kiss, and my boobs and booty for helping me learn that it’s okay to have the curves of a real woman.

  6. This is beautiful!!! I love this idea and that you for sharing it with all of us 🙂

    I thank my body for the freckles just down half my neck and my one arm for reminding me I am unique and only me can be “me”

    I thank my body for allowing my eyes to sparkle when I talk and smile!

    Have a great day! You are too cute!

    xxoo

  7. Ameena says:

    I am grateful that I can see at all, despite the fact that I constantly complain that I have to wear contacts/glasses. I am also thankful that my legs can carry me from place to place, even though I already have early onset of arthritis!!

  8. I thank my kidneys for cleaning up! I thank my taste buds for letting me taste the pleasures of the world. I thank my quad muscles for holding me up every day as I run towards answers, away from problems, or simply to forget.

  9. Michal says:

    This was really hard for me to read. Hmm. But here goes anyway:

    I thank my legs for letting me run, dance, and generally abuse them by standing on my feet for long hours to do the work that I love.

    I thank my ears…. even though they don’t work properly most of the time, I appreciate it all the more when I can hear birds chirping.

    I thank my mouth…. because I am a foodie :-p

  10. Taryn says:

    I thank my eyes for letting me see the world and everything it has to offer.

    I thank my legs and feet for keeping me moving, even if I want to stop.

    I thank my mouth for allowing me to taste amazing food and for carrying my voice out to the world.

    And I thank you for this post, Tina. This is exactly what I needed. 🙂

  11. Jamie says:

    I thank my legs for enabling me to do so many things despite MS and constant pain. I thank my arms for being able to hug my children and husband. I thank my eyes for being ok (had an eye appt the other day and no problems!) and for being able to see my family and all the beauty in this world!

    • Tina says:

      That is amazing and something to be so thankful for. To fight challenges and keep your body enduring shows great strength. I commend you greatly for that!

  12. Shayna says:

    What a great post!
    I thank my crooked chompers for chewing my food and looking like my mother’s 🙂
    I thank my lung’s for healing themselves up after all that yucky smoking.
    I thank my tiny no-booty because I spend so much time on it and it never gets the thanks it deserves!!! Thank you, booty, for letting me watch reality tv!

  13. LindseyAnn says:

    Again, I went in to details on my personal blog, but I thank my feet, my legs, and my nose. I chose three things that I get teased about (I get teased about my chest, too, but I decided that 8am (when I started writing that entry) was too early to talk about that! It was nice to strip away the negative and celebrate these three areas! 😀

  14. KristenV says:

    I thank my lungs for working hard and being resiliant.
    I thank my miraculous vascular system for being able to combat a bloot clot and a pulmonary embolism this year.
    I thank my legs for pushing through the discomfort and pain and moving on with life!

    • Tina says:

      Wow, that’s amazing! I would be very thankful for that. Those things really put it all in perspective, huh? Thanks for sharing!

  15. I will go into more details on my blog post I am about to write, but I wanted to stop by here first.

    1. I love my teeth. Strange I know 😉

    2. I love my curly hair. It is part of how I identify myself.

    3. I love my arms. My biceps.

    Want to read more, come by my blog around 1:30 and I’ll have more details up.

    🙂

  16. I used to hate my thicker legs but I love them so much for supporting me through my training runs, the actual races, etc.

    I love my breasts – yep I said it – for providing nourishment for both of my babies.

    I love my body for putting up w/ everything I’ve put it through and it’s support through 2 difficult pregnancies.

    And also each stretch mark b/c they were a small price to pay for my children.

    🙂

  17. Rachel says:

    I thank my skin for holding in all of my organs.

    I thank my hands for using pen/ink/keyboard to allow my thoughts to come out in my writing.

  18. Maura says:

    I think this is such a great movement Tina! Way to go for putting into action!

    I thank my feet for helping me stand and taking me the places I want to go.

    I thank my arms for letting me embrace my best friends, family and my patients who just need a hug.

    I thank my eyes for allowing me to see all of the good & kindness that exists in the world.

  19. I thank my ears for making listening to others possible. I thank my hair for making me look unique and I thank my legs for being strong!

    🙂

  20. This is so great! So, to comment, and I’ll elaborate more on my blog, here are three I’m thankful for. 🙂

    I thank my, to quote you, “baby place” for making my life a dream come true. Oh, the magic it has brought me and the pride it has helped me experience!

    I thank my eyes for being easily read. They smile when I smile. They show those sparkles when I look at my husband. They’ve been the window to my emotions…which has helped me embrace honesty.

    I thank my mind for being flexible and for being a sponge. I might be stubborn, but man, when I’m proven wrong, it’s entirely capable of accepting that and following the right path. When my “switches” go off, my mind is easily changeable…and it absorbs information wonderfully…which has helped get me to where I am now.

    • Tina says:

      You have such a beautiful way with words Melissa! I love reading your reflections and look forward to your post later. 🙂

  21. Yay I love this, Tina!!

    I thank my legs for carrying me thorough my 8 1/2 mile run this morning (and every other morning!)

    I thank my big hazel eyes because they allow me to see all of the beautiful people and things around me.

    I thank my soft, thick, hair for giving my fingers countless hours of twirling amusement!

    • Tina says:

      I love that you love your hair for twirling amusement. LOL

      I used to always long for thicker hair. Now I love my thin hair. It makes for quick getting ready mornings. 🙂

  22. Kelly says:

    I thank my eye for allowing me to see the beauty in everyone.

    I thank my legs for carrying me through my workouts.

    I thank my brain for being healthy.

  23. I often wonder when it happens that we forget to love our own body. When does that shift begin and how does it become so so very difficult to bring it back?

    Through my journey these past few years I have realized that truly loving and embracing myself allows me to do even more for others and to enjoy what they bring me as well. So simple yet so hard to realize.

    Here is what I thank…

    I thank my body, in it’s entirety for being strong and willing to sustain what I have put it through. What strength you have!

    I thank my eyes for holding the color of my dad’s eyes and the lashes of my grandfather. For my eyes help me see the world as they once did.

    I thank my hands for they allow me to feel the world, touch loved ones. And I love painting those nails!

  24. I thank my legs for their strength to move me around to do so many things.. without them I couldn’t run, hike, or practice yoga.

  25. Kiersten says:

    Beautiful post! I wish I had realized sooner how important my body is and how much it does for me. Maybe I wouldn’t have treated it so badly for such a long time.

  26. janetha g. says:

    thank you fingers, for typing super speedy so i can comment on this post while working at the same time 😉

    love the idea of thanking body parts. too many times people (myself included) get down on body parts.. legs too big, tummy too pokey out, arms too un-defined. HEY, at least there are legs! and a tummy! and arms! some people don’t have the luxury of arms.. legs.. must remember this.

    love ya! and me!

  27. I am thankful for my body in general, and it’s AMAZING ability to “bounce back” after the years of binging and abuse that I put it through! It’s truly a miracle that our bodies are so resilient and know how to heal themselves when we give them the proper fuel!!

    • Tina says:

      Incredibly true! I’m so thankful for my body and how it treats me well now. Even though after all I did to it, it certainly could have failed me.

  28. thank you to my heart for the ability to let me love so deeply! 🙂

  29. Becky says:

    Coming from a place where I felt discouraged by my body, I now am thankful for so much. In fact, I’m amazed by my own strength. My body allows me to do the things I love most.

  30. meghan says:

    I thank my hands for being extra small for my frame because it gives me the extra strength and the art of touch. I’ve been a massage therapist for a 1.5 years and from day one everyone thinks I’ve been doing it for years, they tell me how I choose the right field and that I’m a healer, so for that I love my hands.

  31. Gina says:

    I thank my arms for being able to hug my husband and others that I love.
    By the way I am a new blogger. I couldn’t figure out how to put your 30 day widget on my home page.

  32. […] post on body “gifts” struck a chord with me in a big way. She’s right – we […]

  33. homecookedem says:

    I thank my belly for growing a healthy baby boy. I thank my legs for carrying me around all day long so that I can reach my goals.

  34. […] 2 Sep I have a great dessert/brunch recipe to share today, as well as a few thoughts on today’s Self-Love Reflection, courtesy of Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun. […]

  35. Ela says:

    Beautiful post – lovely choices in your beautiful body too.

    This is a hard one for me, so I’ll jump in and do it right now. Busy again today, but I’ll post on my blog later today also.

    1) I love my quick brain, its ability to make connections and retain information.
    2) I love my ears, even though one of them is half-deaf, for their acute perception of sounds, music and the beauty of words. Also their cute external ‘pixie’ shape.
    3) I love my heart, for being so full of love and so tirelessly consistent.

  36. Julie says:

    This was a really hard one for me today, but thank you for making me think about it…it was seriously on my mind ALL DAY. I talked a bit about it on my blog and ended up having a really good talk with myself about WHY I’m able to focus on the negative so easily and it’s such a struggle to focus on the positive.

    Today I thank my neck for providing a place for Mai’s face to snuggle into when she’s waking up in the morning. I thank my hands for being a kind place for Jack to reach for when he wants to connect with me. I thank my body for the amazing job it did in bringing these kids into my life.

  37. I thank my lungs for allowing me to breathe air and for also keeping me alive. I thank my lungs for allowing me to breathe in deep when exercising, relieving stress and catching my breath when my husband takes it away♥ 🙂

  38. amy says:

    I thank my legs for letting me get to the places I need to go.
    I thank my heart for never skipping a beat.
    I thank my eyes for seeing each new day and its beauty.
    I thank my arms for getting stronger each time I lift a weight.
    I thank my butt for getting my husbands attention everyday.

  39. ashleigh says:

    I thank my legs for working hard in spin class today 🙂

  40. Jennifer says:

    I thank my womb for providing a nourishing home for my two beautiful babies.

    I thank my legs for carrying me through many tough workouts, and for supporting me in caring for my children (born and unborn).

    I thank my intuition for guiding me in the right direction.

  41. […] 2 of the 30 Days of Self Love and today’s topic is gifts of the body. As soon as Tina sent this email I knew exactly what I was going to write about. I am very thankful that for the […]

  42. Penny Lane says:

    I thank my hands for the strength they give me in introductions and the ablitlity to hold hands.

    I thank my arms for giving me the ability to hug my loved ones.

    Great Post, Great morning Meditation!

  43. I thank my “heart” for allowing me to love! Even after the very painful time of losing my dad, I am grateful that my heart was able to heal and allow me to continue to love life. It has also allowed me to love the amazing man that is my fiance, Chris. I am grateful that I have a heart that is open to the love of family and friends.

  44. Kirsten says:

    I thank my frame for carrying all this baby weight with ease. 37.5 weeks and still doing hour long power walks and finishing feeling refreshed.

    I thank my stomach/brain for craving lots of raw vegetables this summer thus assisting with the above.

  45. Jennifer says:

    Thank you chin. Not only do you bring in the laughs when I refer to you as my Leno chin, but you connect me to my dad who shares the same feature. 🙂

  46. Leah says:

    I just updated my blog with what I love.

  47. […] part of the 30 Days of Reflection for Self-Love Challenge hosted by Tina.  Today’s topic is Gifts of the Body. I encourage everyone who hasn’t yet to visit her blog and this challenge–both are very […]

  48. Trisha says:

    I thank my legs for allowing me to cover so many miles.

    I thank my eyes for letting me see the million colors, sights, and most importantly, God’s Word each and every day.

    I thank my heart for taking me the distance as I feel it pump harder when I am on that last mile.

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