The Gift of Thy Body

We all do it. We all wish we looked different, in some way, some how. We stare at our reflections in the mirrors we pass during our days, and scrutinize our bellies, our hair, our thighs; you name it, we see all our flaws; even ones that do not exist.

As a personal trainer and self esteem coach, I have had the pleasure of training hundreds of clients who are brave enough to come see me so to change their lives for the better. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely, very large woman who told me all she wanted to do was know what "pretty" felt like. My heart melted.

The goals of personal trainers vary and they are vast. My goal is and always has been the emotional well being of my clients. I am of the belief that only emotionally peaceful creatures can acquire long term fitness results. When the spirit is unsettled, it is difficult to watch ones diet, or keep up with a specific exercise program. But when the heart is hopeful, God shows up, and loving ourselves becomes a way of life.

What I told my client is what I wish to tell you, my readers. We are all created in the image of God. We are all loved, deeply. Our bodies are the gift God has given to us that enables us to exist in this physical world. While we are here, we get to engage in all that is human; the good, the bad, the beautiful and often times the ugly. It is God's intent to give us all the opportunity to know triumph over evil, and the sweetness of success.

Life is often times challenging. It is supposed to be. Challenges give us opportunities to be great, and to tackle mountains. Only by conquering that which has threatened to knock us down, can we possibly know the wealth that comes from rising to the demands life has brought to our doors. Being obese is obviously a challenge; one that is conquerable.

Our bodies are temples that embody our divine spirit; the one that connects us all to our higher power. Our bodies are gifts we need to cherish regardless of how round or lumpy they are. Our bodies are the vessels that carry the "who" of what we are. Our bodies are gifts given to us as we share our time with one another on earth. The time will come when our bodies fail. We are all here temporarily. What our bodies look like is far less important than what is in them, and how we feel about them.

The body is a vessel that houses the spirit. Our worth is in what cannot be seen, not in what can be seen, although society bases value on that which is material. It is the conscious minds of those among us that must fight against this insanity, and help spread truth. As a personal trainer and self esteem coach, as well as a free lance writer, I make it my goal to spread truth wherever I can.

Fighting against the norm is not an easy thing to do. Society will continually try to manipulate your ideas of beauty, as well as tell you what success is. Money is what fuels this insanity. If society can convince women they are not enough, then women will spend billions of dollars a year trying to live up to the airbrushed, unrealistic image of what ad agencies tell us beauty is. This simple fact is the reason we all must band together to fight these misnomers. Those of us who know truth, must share truth.

The body is a gift. Not the perfect body, just the body, as is, regardless of shape or size. The body is a gift.