My Reflection ~ I Heart My Body 2012

Today i'm participating in 'I Heart My Body 2012' post from over at 'I Heart Life' as I believe it is such a beautiful idea to celebrate and appreciate who we are. We are often all too quick to judge ourselves harshly and find lots of negative things but there are also so many positives to be found..

I first started to take notice of my body at age 9, before that I was oblivious to it.. I was a kid, but the day I asked my Nan if you measure how fat your tummy is when your standing up or sitting down, my relationship with my body changed. From that point in, I became its slave.. At 10 I had developed and been diagnosed as having an eating disorder which followed me throughout much of my teenage years. I obsessed over my body, recalling all too often Mum & I standing in front of her bedroom mirror comparing our bodies, poking, prodding, measuring and criticising ourselves (never each other).. our size 10-12 selves.. If I could go back in time & slap myself I would..

Today I stand before you all.. 31 years of age, hearting my less than perfect, no where near size 10/12 body (alas it left me years ago) Although I haven't always loved everything about my body, lessons in life and love have taught me to start appreciating it for what it is.. Because you never know what tomorrow holds.. So its best to just live for now & appreciate what we already have;

My top 3 things I heart xx
1. I love that my body has sustained life by blessing me with my 2 precious baby boys. Both pregnancies were truly beautiful & I was amazed at how our bodies adapt to grow our little people. Whilst pregnant I loved the shape of my bump & the dark pigment that emerged..
2. I love that it is the body that my husband desires over all others (sometimes I annoy him by questioning his admiration or brushing off his compliments) but I secretly love it and am grateful that he see's that in me. And 3. I love that I am blessed with good health (nice eyes & a good bum never hurt to make one feel good about oneself either!) but seriously since my Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer 4 years ago (thankfully she beat it!) each day that goes by where you are in good health, I cherish it.. Because it can change in the blink of a second. The other week when I felt a lump and had to wait a couple of days for an ultrasound felt like a lifetime.. Thankfully it seemed to be all clear, but I was just so overjoyed to have good health.. so I heart every day my body is in good health.

I'm glad I'm not back in front of the mirror pinching my thighs, measuring my waist & sucking in my tummy as i was in my younger days. My Dad was a very wise man for saying he wished he could cover up all the mirrors in our home because it truly is what's inside that counts and how you feel about yourself is the true reflection of who you really are.. Xoxo

Pop on over & read all of the other ladies inspirational stories.. :)