March 16th - 20 Things

Thank you to the 30 or so who are still with me. 

Keep up the good work!

I love the comments on Facebook, thank you for sharing your stories with me.

You inspire me.

"Like all of us, you see yourself in the mirror every day. 

But when was the last time you nodded your head in approval at what you saw?"

I know that if you can't be happy with what you have now, right now, that you will never be happy with what you think will make you happy. I don't really know why, but I know it's the truth. 

If you can't love your body and the way you look right now, you won't when you make all the changes you want to make.

"Today, I'd like to ask you to try something radically different:

Look at yourself lovingly and begin to appreciate what you see.

This exercise is more than just skin deep because I want you to 

take an inventory of what you like about yourself. 

Most of us are very quick to criticize ourselves. 

We're always finding things wrong with the way we look. 

Today we're going to discover and give thanks for what pleases us. 

Tonight, set aside an hour to celebrate how marvelous you really are."

Sarah suggests a bath, with oils or bubbles, candles and candlelight.  After soaking and patting yourself dry, apply a pretty lotion (although, if you're going to bed after, don't apply something really smelly. I did that once, and I had to take a shower to wash it off! I couldn't sleep the smell was so strong). 

But don't just apply, massage. 

Really look at your body, but look at it with love. 

Sarah then says to write down 

10 things you absolutely love about your body in your gratitude journal, 

and then write down 10 aspects of your personality that you like. 

"And if you think you can't find twenty things to love about yourself, 

go back to the mirror. 

Do this exercise every day until you can...

Today, be willing to search genuinely for your glorious possibilities 

and rejoice in your divine authenticity." 

10 things I love about my body

1) My eyes. They are the most gorgeous brown and I love their shape.

2) My lips. I love my smile. 

3) My hair. I love the color, and when I have a good hair day then I really love it.

4) My neck. I think it's lovely.

5) My hands. I love that they're are small and perfect.

6) My fingers. They are strong, and long and nimble.

7) My mom belly. I used to have a super slim and awesome stomach, but now I have a full handful of skin from the twins pregnancy. And I love it. If I had a choice to go back to my old stomach, I wouldn't want it. 

8)My butt. I love the way it feels (don't be a pervert) when I use it, like going up the stairs. I go up and down the stairs a lot. And the day after squats, oh my goodness, hurts so good.

9) My legs. I think they're pretty.

10) My feet. I love the arches, the curves. 

11) Robbie said he likes all of me.

10 Things I love about my personality

1) My sense of humor. It's dry and a little witty, and I love it when my friends laugh at what I say. I crack myself up.

2) My compassion. I love being loving, nurturing and caring.

3) My determination. I love to see things through. Robbie said it's more of an obsession.

4) My authentic self. I'm really loving who I am. My sense of style, my sense for decorating, etc etc.

5) My ability and desire to serve is pretty cool, I love helping people. I love giving.

6) My musical talent. It is a wonderful way to express how I feel.

7) My realness. I can be really pragmatic, blunt, to the point, and I love it.

8) My roles as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter, as a sister and as a friend. I'm very blessed.

9) My testimony. I love my faith.

10) My ability to be happy and healthy. I love trying to eat right, trying to be a good steward to what I own, trying to be good to the planet (reduce, reuse, recycle!), gardening, exercising, and taking this simple abundance journey so I can learn how to be happy with what I have been blessed with.

And yes. I did take a bath. 

And it was fabulous, thanks for asking.

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Gratitude Journal

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1) My friend. She texted me this morning asking if I wanted a cleaning play date where she could come over and help me clean, I asked if she was free today. She made it so, and came over and helped me get my kitchen sparkling again, all the while talking to me and filling my soul with light and love. I had the thought, that we don't know the effect we have on people, and we don't see sometimes how awesome we are...let me tell you, this woman has no reason to ever doubt. 

2) Projects. And so it begins, we took down the tv tonight and moved some furniture around. Demolition begins tomorrow night! Harry Potter cubby here we come.

3) Not watching TV. I think we've been good all week, I don't think we've watched any tv or movies until tonight. Robbie came home and suggested family movie night while we ate dinner, since we probably won't have anything available till Saturday night. We watched the live action Pete's Dragon. Jacob talked us through the entire thing.

4) Visiting Teachers. They couldn't come visit me on Monday so she asked if she could bring me dinner or visit me another time. I chose dinner. As I was finishing cleaning the kitchen and prepping for my piano lessons I thought oh no! What am I going to do for dinner?! And right then she sent me a text asking if 5 was okay. It's the little things, the tender mercies, prayers being answered through someone else acting as his hands. 

5) A clean kitchen. Oh. My. Goodness. I now have a completely clean downstairs...at least for the next few days. Let the minion madness and messiness of three babies begin! Bring it.