Good advice
A few days ago I posted 10 Steps to a Positive Body Image. So today I'm focusing on the next two steps.
Step 3: Remind yourself that "true beauty" is not simply skin deep. Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of your body.
Beauty is seeing God at work. It can be watching a healthy child at play, a gorgeous sunrise, a perfect flower, or the peace of belonging I get in my safe little nest next to Mr. Wonderful.
It's true I'm not happy with the way I look physically but I know I'm a work in progress. I'm not at the stage where I won't have my picture taken. I know that chances are, I'm not going to get better looking but I am very visual. I want to look back on the pictures of my life knowing I was fully present. I want my grandchildren to see Diva on the floor playing dolls, building with Legos, or playing with cars. Hopefully they won't remember that it took a crane to get me back off the floor (but that's a story for another day!).
I love to see people working in the areas that they are truly gifted. I loved the Olympics, seeing athletes preform physical feats they have trained years to accomplish. I loved that the world came together to participate and that the woman runner from Saudi Arabia who came in last got a standing ovation and cheered on to finish.
I love the beauty of creativity. Mr. Wonderful thinks it's funny that I watch Top Shot (a program that pits marksmen in various challenges to preform shooting accuracy.) I love to watch cooking competitions, design contests, even craft war. There is a beauty of seeing something done well.
Step 4: Look at yourself as a whole person- choose not to focus on a specific body part. On the whole I like who I am and who I'm becoming. I'm changing every day. My yard has never looked better. I seem to raise flowers better than vegetables so I'm concentrating on raising better flowers. I like to look back over my old posts and see moments of genius .....so I'm concentrating on writing more, watching TV less, reading more and trying to be more positive.
My momma raised me to be a gracious woman. A gracious woman is a grace-giver. She gives willingly-not just materially, but of herself:
- because she receives inexhaustible grace, she can extend grace.
- because she is deeply loved by the Father, she can love others.
- because she is forgiven, she can forgive.
- because she hears the Lord speak graciously to her, she can communicate with grace.
- because her strength and peace are from the Lord, she can impart a gentle and quiet spirit to those around her.
- because she is humbled by the privilege of being God's child, she can serve selflessly, delight in bringing glory to Him alone. (Ok, so I need a little more work in this area, but I'm getting there!)
