Thursday, August 13, 2015

The Perfect Body

It's that time of year where all folks in media and in real life are wearing less clothes, showing us what they have and what they don't.  It's also the time of year where its easier to be active because the weather is cooperative and enjoyable! The perfect body seems to be something that we are desperately trying to achieve, yet it seems far out of our reach.  We compare ourselves to other people, both Hollywood stars and our neighbors.  We suffer from food and exercise related disorders.  Our minds are hoodwinked about the truth about our bodies.  What if we started looking at our bodies as what they already are?  Perfect!  What if we changed our thoughts to embrace the truth that we have the perfect body.  For us.

One of my daughters is involved in the marching band at her school. For the past 2 weeks, she has had to march in the heat and practice on average 5 hours per day.  Her body needs to be one that doesn't succumb to the outside heat or the internal fatigue brought on by the hours of practice.  And she's doing it!  Not once has she sat down and quit.  Her body is the perfect body FOR HER at this time.  It is doing for her exactly what she needs it to!  My other daughters dance, and my son plays soccer.  Each one of them has a body that does the activity that they desire to do.  We talk often about being grateful for the ways that our body helps us out.

This summer I have needed a perfect body to help me hike, carry multiple bags of groceries, balance on a paddle-board, transport a sleepy 9 year old from the car to his bed, stand for hours on end during my work day, walk long walks embracing alone time with my husband, and ride on a water roller coaster ride with my girls.  Guess what?  My body has done everything I asked it to.  Therefore it is the perfect body.  For me.   Because of this, I have been thanking my body for doing the things I ask it to.  I am trying to embrace it, knowing that its perfection lies in its appearance and more in its performance, which is everything to me.

What has your perfect body done for you this summer?