Love Your Body @theselflovechallenge

Love Your Body

You were born to be happy in your own body, remember that.

Your body is a unique and valuable gem that is craving your unconditional love as it changes and grows. Yes, you can love your body without conditions. If you can choose to hate or harm your beautiful body, you can also choose to respect and honor your magnificent body too. While there is so much in your life that might be out of your control, self-love is a choice that only you can choose for yourself.

Growing up can be challenging and it takes courage to love your body, especially when social media shows a filtered highlight reel of so many imperfect people trying so hard to be perfect. No one is perfect and there is more to who you are than what can be shared in a picture or a post with a catchy caption.

Choose to love yourself and forgive yourself if you have been struggling to do so. Although you might struggle sometimes, you do not have to suffer by allowing food to control your life. Food is meant to nourish your body and should be enjoyed with every single bite. Food is not meant to make you feel in control for avoiding it, guilty for eating it or shame for wanting it. Rather than focus on what your body is not by comparing it someone else, I challenge you to celebrate your body for what it can do for you every single day, not for what size jeans it can fit into or a number it weighs on a scale.

Love your body.

Love your body.

Love your body.

Love your body.

Love your body.

Go ahead, try saying it five times: “I love my body.” I mean it, say it to yourself out loud, right now:

I love my body.

I love my body.

I love my body.

I love my body.

I love my body.

Now, while I know it might be easier to just say those words instead of genuinely believing them right now, please know that it is possible with consistent and persistent practice. You must strengthen your mental muscles and retrain your brain. What you think reflects how you feel, and how you feel reflects how you act. Be patient with yourself and give yourself compassion as you work on retraining your brain to love your body. It takes time heal and create healthier patterns in your life, but it is so worth it.

It is just like learning a new skill or practicing something that you might already be good at. If you want to learn how to dance, you practice. If you want to advance your dancing skills, you continue to practice. Just like you practice anything you want to get better at, it takes time, patience and a lot of effort. Look at loving your body the same way. Loving your body might take time, but the more you think positively about your body, the easier it becomes to say positive things about your body and practice loving actions towards your body.

In case no one has ever told you, I want you to know that you are a unique gem. You are not your weight and you are not your size, remember that. Your body deserves your unconditional love and gratitude for what it does for you every day. So, as you start each day, I challenge you to think about your favorite gemstone. Is it a Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby or Amethyst? Maybe you love diamonds? Whatever you choose, think of your body as that gorgeous gem you love, and remember, your body is precious, rare, valuable, and unique.

Brandy Wilson, Empowerment Speaker and Self-Love Coach

@theselflovechallenge