YOUR BODY - YOURSELF!

[Guest guest]

Hello TOPS Friends:

You may love it or hate it, but you only receive one (1)

body for the duration of your life on earth. Your

inner-self (spirit or the real you) is stored inside this

body. You will travel throughout life together...You

& your body. You will share all the hopes, dreams,

fears, thoughts, expectations, and beliefs with your

body.

Like it or not, accept it or reject it, this body is the only

one you will get in this lifetime. Because you are stuck

with it, it is important to transform your body from a

mere vessel to a life-long ally and a beloved partner.

Many of us are uncomfortable with our body and feel

that we would like it to be different -- stronger, thinner,

healthier, more attractive, etc. No matter what you feel

about your body it is yours and the relationship you

establish with it will have a great deal to do with your

life experience.

So we must make peace with our body. Acceptance

is the art of embracing what life presents to you with

a good attitude.Your body shows up wherever you

are. It can be like an ever-present best friend and

guide or a life-long cross you bear. That decision is

yours!

Don't make your body the target for your harshest

judgements or the barometer by which you measure

your self-worth. Because our phsycical shape is the

way in which we show up in the world, it is very

often the way we define ourselves, and often the

way others define us. The way we view our body

is directly related to allowing ourselves to fully

participate in all aspects of life, without reservation,

immediately. Acceptance allows us to participate

more fully in life.

The mind and the body are connected. So acceptance

of your body is essential for your emotional and physical

well-being. Denying your body complete acceptance

can lead to illness, whereas practicing acceptance can

heal disease. The medical community recognizes the

value of self-acceptance for its power to maintain a

healthy mind and body.

True acceptance comes when you can embrace and

appreciate your body as it is right now, and no longer

feel that you need to alter it to be worthy of someone's

love -- most especially your own. This does not mean

that you should never endeavor to improve your body

by losing weight through a good nutrition and exercise

plan. What it does mean, is that you need to stop

criticizing, judging, or finding fault with your body even

when you are at your healthiest or most attractive.

The drive for improving your body is healthy as long as

it comes from a place of self-love, rather than a feeling

of inadequacy. Learn to love all the parts of yourself

and if you can't love them, change them. If you can't

change them, then accept them as they are.

As we grow and age the physical body presents us with

some very challenging things that you simply can not

change. You can still improve your body at an older

age, but some things you must accept. At the other

end of the spectrum your body may be afflicted with

a physical ailment that makes your body that much

harder to accept. But still accept it you must, no matter

how insurmountable the task may seem.

However, you can still strive for improvement and you

can work around your disabilities, but only if you accept

them. The Special Olympics are filled with people who

have accepted their bodies, despite their handicaps.

You must recognize that what is, just is, & that the key to

unlocking the prison of self-judgement lies within your

own mind.

Acceptance or rejection of your body only carries

WEIGHT in your mind; your perception has no bearing

on how your body actually looks, so why not choose

the ease of acceptance rather than the pain of rejection?

REMEMBER: Acceptance is the first step towards

Change!

The Choice is Yours!

Loren ,

TOPS 1999 Texas State King