Most of you who receive my e-mails may know that I end every message with a little saying that goes like this:
“Be Patient, Be Kind, Be Thankful.” ~Jill
I often wonder if there is an understanding about it’s double meaning. Of course we are to be patient and kind and thankful to others, but we often neglect to remember these very things in terms of ourselves. Often I speak in class about taking the time to appreciate what is so right with our bodies because, more times than not, we focus on what is ailing us. It is the way. We identify with our pain, our agony, our problems, because, as humans, we are fixers. We focus on the things we need to fix, because usually pain or discomfort is involved. But let’s reframe that ‘fixing’ to ‘trusting’ instead.
We are made up of 650 muscles, 360 joints, 206 bones (give or take), not to mention all the fascia or connective tissues, our nervous system (forget Facebook and Twitter-this communication system trumps all of that!), our lymph that flushes out our toxins and organs that process the environment we bombard it with daily. If we are able to focus on all the wonderful things the body does for us it may help us to change our perspective. And, just maybe, if we can shift our focus off the things that ail us enough, maybe those things may just dissappear…especially if we provide it with everything we can possibly do for healing to take place: nutrition, movement, & mindset.
Our bodies in this life are but a vehicle, a vehicle to deliver our message, or to help others, or to be a catalyst of change. Maybe you are destined for “great” things. Maybe you are meant to learn lessons in this lifetime. Your body is there to carry you though it all, for better or for worse. It’s time to refocus our energy into caring for that entity that helps us accomplish all our wonderful goals in this lifetime!
To help with that refocus I decided to write a letter to my body. I thought maybe this letter would help you too so I decided to share it. Print it off, tape it to your mirror, and read it every day as a reminder of the commitent you have to appreciating the wonderful gift you have been given in your body!
DEAR BODY,
IT MAY HAVE BEEN SOME TIME SINCE WE SPOKE BUT I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU. I KNOW MOST OF THE TIME I SPEAK TO YOU IT MAY BE REPRIMANDING YOU FOR NOT WORKING PROPERLY, OR FOR PUTTING ON A FEW POUNDS, OR FOR NOT LOOKING A CERTAIN WAY, OR FOR NOT PERFORMING THE WAY I WANT YOU TO. I’M HERE TODAY TO SAY I’M SORRY FOR NOT GIVING YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT FOR DOING YOUR JOB THE BEST WAY YOU KNEW HOW WITH THE INFORMATION YOU HAD BEEN GIVEN.
WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER SINCE DAY ONE, THROUGH GOOD TIMES AND IN BAD. THROUGH INJURY AND DEPRESSION AND SICKNESS. THROUGH BICYCLE RIDES AND HIKES AND ROLLER COASTERS. THROUGH CHILDBIRTH. THROUGH HIGHS AND LOWS. BUT I HAVEN’T GIVEN YOU ENOUGH CREDIT FOR STICKING BY ME THROUGH IT ALL.
SO FROM NOW ON, I WILL TRY MY VERY BEST TO MAKE THESE PROMISES:
I PROMISE TO BE KIND TO YOU. I PROMISE TO SAY ONLY NICE THINGS TO YOU. I PROMISE TO PROVIDE THE BEST FOODS TO ALLOW YOU TO PERFORM AT YOUR PEAK. I PROMISE TO PROVIDE MOVEMENT THAT HEALS NOT ONLY YOU BUT YOUR MIND AS WELL. AND I PROMISE TO FOCUS ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT, INSTEAD OF WHAT IS GOING WRONG WITH YOU.
I PROMISE TO BE THANKFUL FOR YOU. FOR FINDING THE GRATITUDE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. I PROMISE TO FIND ONE THING EVERY DAY TO BE HAPPY ABOUT WITH YOU.
AND FINALLY, I PROMISE TO BE PATIENT WITH YOU. I PROMISE TO GIVE YOU THE CORRECT TOOLS SO THAT YOU MAY HEAL, BUT TO TRUST THAT YOU WILL MAKE THOSE CHANGES. I PROMISE NOT TO GET TOO FRUSTRATED WITH YOU IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO LISTEN. THIS WILL TEACH ME TO CHANGE COURSE AND ADAPT TO HELP MAKE THE PATH TO HEALING AS EASY AND SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU. I KNOW CHANGE DOESN’T HAPPEN OVER NIGHT, BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO IT.
CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY AND MAY FEEL WRONG OR AKWARD AT FIRST BUT I KNOW, IN TIME, WE CAN GET USED TO ANYTHING. I WILL DO MY BEST TO HONOR YOU WITH THESE PROMISES ALL THE DAYS I CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF YOU IN THIS WONDERFUL LIFE.
I LOVE YOU.
ME
For any information on nutrition, movement, or mindset, please reach out! My sincere appreciation for you and your wonderul body!
essentricswithjillroth@gmail.com
Jill Roth, RDH, CFNC (Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor), “Function-First” Pain Management Certified, Essentrics Level 4 Certified Instructor
Body Awareness with Jill Roth 
Thank you Jill for this refreshing and positive insight! It was very helpful.
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You’re welcome, Heather! Sometimes a new perspective is what’s needed to appreciate what we have. 🙂
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