A WEEK OF NOTICING WHAT CARRIES YOU: THANK YOUR BODY!

“Being a human body must be one of the hardest jobs on the planet.”  Christine Renee Monks

What could you do without your body? Nothing. Yet we rarely think about it until something goes wrong – we experience discomfort or some level of limitation. And even then, our first thoughts are to complain and blame it for letting us down.

We forget that without our supervision, the body operates on an almost incomprehensible scale, 24/7, from birth to death, repairing itself while still running. It maintains a stable internal balance as we expose it to all sorts of extremes, toxins, and terrible food. As we age, the body's job gets harder. Nonetheless, it quietly handles thousands of small crises we never notice, like fighting off infections, correcting spiking blood sugar levels, and bringing rising blood pressure back to normal, just to name a few.

And here’s something else we often overlook: the body and mind aren't two separate entities; they work together, helping us experience life as we know it. So it’s in our best interest to guard our thoughts about our body and give it the credit it deserves.

A simple Gratitude list can do that and more. Here’s how:

·          Instead of taking your body for granted and criticizing it when it doesn't meet your demands, Gratitude helps you see it as a living, intimate partner that keeps you moving.

·          It helps you recognize sensations and signals from your body, so you become more proactive than reactive about your well-being.

·          It builds respect for your body - turning ordinary acts like breathing, walking, resting, and recovering into meaningful moments.

What’s the small change takeaway? A genuine “thank-you” to your body sends a message that you notice what it's doing for you - without you even having to ask.

So this week, if you haven’t already, start a gratitude list. It may seem small, but it really isn't. It’s where reshaping the way you think about health begins - and when you change how you think, you change how you live.

For the next seven days: 1) Each night, list at least three things your body did for you that day; and 2) Answer at least one of the journaling prompts below.

Journaling Prompts:

1.      Describe a time your body pushed through something hard (illness, exhaustion, pain, stress). What did it teach you?

2.      Where have you been critical of your body lately? Rewrite that criticism as a "thank-you" note instead.

3.      What's one part of your body you rarely think about — until it acts up? What would it say to you if it could speak?

I’ve filled more journal pages than I can count apologizing to my body for the foolish, harmful things I’ve done that forced it to work overtime - like late-night partying that punished my liver and left me sleep-deprived. Or the years of strain I’d put on my spine lifting patients and wheelchairs - strain that led to a diagnosis of degenerative disc disease. I have no one to blame but myself.

But when you learn better, you do better, so now, not a day passes that I don’t thank my body for being the vessel that lets me fulfill my purpose. Things could be a lot worse.

Appreciate your body; Be Well!

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