There is a lovely book by Joanne Miller and Dorcey McHugh called “Be Your Finest Art.” It inspires us to notice the beauty around us and use it to awaken the creativity that lies within us. We can train our eyes and our mind to see beauty and capture it in our art. This might inspire a poem, a blog, a drawing or sketch, or even simply the creation of a mental picture in our imagination.
We can do the same thing with our bodies. Instead of focusing on the things about our bodies that we don’t like, we begin to celebrate things about our bodies that we do like. I like my full lips, my ample bosom, my voluptuous bottom. Why stop there? I love my gorgeous hair, my rocking weave, okay, okay, maybe not the weave, that is not quite my “body,” but it is part of my self image that I can celebrate.
As a Life and Weight Loss Coach, I see so much of weight loss tied to hating our bodies and wanting to change them. But I chose to lose weight, because I wanted to be healthier and have more energy. Being able to fit into a size 10 pair of jeans was an added bonus.
Many people have the idea that when they achieve a certain weight or are able to fit into a particular item of clothing, they will finally be happy. Their lives will all of a sudden transform like Cinderella and her magic slippers. But who says you have to wait until you have lost all the weight to be happy. That gorgeous, fabulous life you long for is available to you right now. All those good thoughts you will think in the future, you can think them right now. All those awesome feelings you will experience down the road, you can experience them immediately.
Celebrate your body as it is, right at this moment. Who says you can’t enjoy every step of your weight loss journey, starting right now? You can watch the transformation with wonder and awe as you realize that you have a body that can do amazing things. All those wonderful thoughts and feelings are available to you at this very moment.
I once observed a coaching session where the client was so negative towards her body that to jump from the thought of “I hate my body” to suddenly “I love my body” felt dishonest and untrue. So instead she did what is called laddering up. She went from “I hate my body” to “I have a body.” Then eventually she added “I have a body that can do wonderful and amazing things.” Then “I have a healthy body.” Then “I fuel my body with good, healthy foods.” All of these thoughts were true for her.
As this client focused on the positive things about her body, she was able to open her mind to the beauty that was her body, and she learned to be kind not only to her body, but to herself.
What techniques do you or can you use to train your mind to appreciate your beauty and allow your body to truly be “Your Finest Art?”