Welcome back from the holiday weekend! I look forward to hearing from all of you who unplugged again. Playing catch up? Here are the 30 Days posts from Saturday through Monday.
TRUSTING YOUR BODY   /   LOVE FROM OTHERS   /   DO WE IDOLIZE OUR BODIES?

I hope you take a look at these posts. If you can only pick one, I would say click the “love from others” one. It seemed to really resonate with everyone, including myself. I cried when writing it. Want to catch up with my life from the weekend? Click HERE to hear all about it and see all the fabulous, insanely good, food I ate.

Something else to check out? Michelle from Eating Journey and Heather from Then Heather Said both asked me to write a guest post featuring the 30 Days of Self-Love. Please give them a look!

• Guest Post on Eating Journey
• Guest Post on Then Heather Said

Now that I have bombarded you with given you links to have some fun with ;), let’s move to today’s topic!

***************************************

Every day upon arising, we begin a journey led by one choice after another. Those choices add up to the sum total of our lives and whether or not we can claim to live in joy. What is that I hear you saying? Oh…you think that’s ridiculous and that we can’t control everything. You know what I say? You’re right. We can’t control everything. We can, however, control our perspective.

As I discussed yesterday, sometimes we choose to put more emphasis on our body at the expense of fully experiencing the world around us with pleasure. We determine whether or not we live in that manner. In the same fashion, we choose whether or not to succumb to other forces in this world hoping to weaken us. That choice lies in the perspective we adopt.

[source]

When a pair of pants fit too tight, you act out your choice whether you demean yourself the entire day with negativity or actively seek out ways to care for your health. When an insecure friend wants to tap into your insecurities with snide comments, you choose whether or not to listen (or stay friends for that matter). When a challenge arises, such as a lost job or illness/injury or broken heart, you can choose to continue living with the belief it will make you stronger or grab a shovel to dig yourself a hole of regret and self-pity.

Our perspectives don’t always have to shine with rainbows and glitter. No shame should occur in feeling pain, hurt, anger, sadness, etc in particular situations. We’re human and those emotions should not be glossed over or ignored. Sometimes we need such feelings to cloak us like a heavy garment and really feel them before moving on with our lives. Nevertheless, we still control those feelings and keep the perspective in tact.

[source]

All of the above relates to self-love because part of loving ourselves comes in providing the best life possible. That life consists of seeing the glimmers of hope in dark places, the pain of others in their attempts to cause pain, the waste of time in fretting over matters we won’t remember in a few months, and the ongoing list of similar situations. The authority to provide a “best life” comes in a little package called perspective. It’s your choice whether or not to open that gift.

[source]

How do you witness the power of perspective in your life? Do you currently face something where your perspective could make a difference?  

Quote to Reflect On
Be careful how you interpret the world:  It is like that.  ~Erich Heller

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.  ~Anaïs Nin

*To be added to the email list and receive links to the posts in the morning, please let me know of your interest in a comment below.

*For more 30 Days Inspiration visit these bloggers who shared their personal 30 DSLR messages and let me know if you share anything relating to the 30 DSLR on your blog!

• Healthy Living Adventures
• Running To A Healthy Life
• It All Changes
• The Fitness Dish
• Miranda’s Jeans
• Eat Drink Breathe Sweat
• Making A Change
• Two Feet Ten Toes
• Adventures in Weight Loss, Cooking, & Life
• Adventure Is Out There

Gooood morning! Time for another 30 DSLR post. 😀 I cannot believe it hasn't even been a full week yet! Let's see what more the 30 DSLR will bring us. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on today's topic, just like every day. Yesterday was especially touching to read your comments after sharing so deeply. Your comments all pull at my heartstrings.

**********************************

How much do we really value our bodies? We may say we don’t, but when taking a closer look at our actions we may find differently. We may even claim we “hate” our bodies, yet we still obsess over them. We spend countless hours of our lives thinking about how our butt looks, checking our hair in the mirror, running our hands over our stomach, or trying to find the best tool out there to help us look good.

Taking care of ourselves and wanting to present ourselves in a suitable manner does not act as the root of the problem. Placing more emphasis on our looks over our character opens up many avenues for self-doubt and lack of caring for our inner selves. In life, we should not have idols. I use the word “idol” to describe something we focus on more than necessary and that inhibits us from experiencing the things in life meant to fulfill us.

[source]

Our bodies become idols when we can’t enjoy a night out with friends because we feel too concerned with the fit of our jeans. Our bodies serve as idols when we spend time in the gym to look better instead of feel healthier. Our bodies act as idols when we can’t comfortably allow a loved one to touch us without negative thoughts playing in our minds. Our bodies turn into idols when we have difficulty focusing on our work, surroundings, conversations, etc because we wonder if we’ll ever lose that last 5 pounds or look as good as (insert celebrity persona here). Our bodies are idols whenever we allow them to become the defining factor of our lives, instead of our relationships, passions, hobbies, and values.

[source]

We lose the chance to enjoy life when we refuse to look past our bodies. I loved this quote that sparked discussion on my favorite radio show awhile ago - “Don’t look for yourself in the mirror. Look at yourself”. Your body does not determine you. It’s simply what you look like. What matters is what’s on the inside. So when you look in the mirror, or think about your physical appearance, don’t dwell on it. Simply look at it and move on (without forgetting the gifts of the body though ;)). When looking for yourself and your worth…look to the more defining qualities you possess. Your intrinsic beauty, what others see in you, what you give to the world, and more. Don’t let your body play the leading part.. It’s simply the costume for the star of the show. The real YOU!

What ways have you put too much emphasis on your body? How can you change that?

Quote to Reflect On
You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. ~C.S. Lewis

*To be added to the email list and receive links to the posts in the morning, please let me know of your interest in a comment below.

*For more 30 Days Inspiration visit these bloggers who shared their personal 30 DSLR messages and let me know if you share anything relating to the 30 DSLR on your blog!

• The Process of Healing
• Miranda’s Jeans
• Making a Change
• Gina Eats Beans
• Two Feet Ten Toes
• To Be Determined
• Simply Maren
• Ulterior Harmony
• Adventure Is Out There