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 every day.

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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.

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.

I have many more things to thank on my body, but now I want to hear yours. Reflect on your body’s gifts. Then declare… “I thank my ______”. 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

If you missed it earlier, I announced that I will be revisiting the topics discussed during the 30 Days of Self-Love. Many newer readers have shown interest. I also believe the topics discussed can always benefit us. So, I will re-publish one of the topics each week on Sunday evening to guide us into the week. I hope its enjoyable for all, newer and older readers alike. Time for topic one!

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When trying to decide what topic would best suit the start of self-love reflections only one thing came to mind. Confidence. Confidence portrays so much beauty and strength, yet somehow always seems just out of reach to achieve. Why? Because we don’t believe we deserve it or fail to see what we have to feel confident about.

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That’s right. We each have something in which to lay confidence. All of us have unique strengths and qualities that we should not ignore or gloss over, but instead lift up into the light and proclaim as our own with pride and joy.Those things which we can take ownership of in confidence come in many shapes and sizes. You can see it in your mad cooking skills, your ability to make others laugh and laugh with them, your giving of love for a friend/spouse/child, your ability to push your body in a workout, your smile, your good sense of style, your mind and ability to problem solve, your compassion on others, your go with the flow demeanor…ANYTHING!

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Do not forget your strengths by focusing on weaknesses, because we all have those too. BUT those do not define us. Our strengths define us. Something else to remember. You are stronger than you think. You may not believe so, but you have the power to change everything. You have the power to turn your life into something beautiful. You are reading this post and stepping out to love yourself more, then in turn love others more, and then have the potential to change more than you imagined. Yes, YOU! Each of us have that power and simply moving, or even desiring to move, towards a positive place speaks volumes.

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Be confident in what you can do! Trust in yourself and the changes YOU can make and that can happen in you. We all start somewhere. I did too. I knew I couldn’t keep half living and things didn’t change in one day. It hurt and many tears fell on my path. They still do. BUT I knew change was possible and that I could be that change. I did gain confidence in God, but I still had to do the actions. If I can do it, you can too. Take those steps and remember how wonderful you are. BE CONFIDENT TODAY! Tell yourself you can do this. You can change your outlook, your focus, the message you share. You can!

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. ~Author Unknown

We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies. ~Roderick Thorp, Rainbow Drive

Take a few moments to quietly reflect on confidence and recognize what you have to offer. You have something! Whenever you feel down, remember who YOU are and what you have to be proud of. What do you have to be confident about?