I encourage you to read the pledge out loud to yourself. Gain a new perspective on your body: appreciate what it does for you rather than focusing on what it looks like.
I just broke my foot. I have been getting around on crutches for over a week now, and I have gained a whole new level of appreciation and respect for my body. Without the use of my right leg, everyday things like shopping (see photo below where my friend encouraged me to use the little cart at Target) and driving are quite challenging. And I can't do some of my favorite things like riding my bike or walking in the park near my home. I am doing my best to take excellent care of myself, so I can heal. I am learning how to relax and rest more than ever before. When I get my cast off, something as simple as walking into my kitchen to pour a cup of coffee will feel so good! I promise you that I won't be thinking about the size of my hips. No, I will be thinking about the freedom that my body gives me to move around and truly live.
I just took The I-LOVE-MY-BODY Pledge. I hope you will, too. Please share your thoughts and comments.
Thanks, Harriet, for helping us to all love our bodies!
Jenni
Jenni,
This is a great pledge. And while I'm so sorry you broke your foot, I can appreciate how the injury makes you see your body in a new light. The times I've felt most compassionate about my body and feeding it have been the times I've been recovering from surgery.
Posted by: Alyson | July 14, 2009 at 01:58 PM
Love the pink cast Jenni :) Thanks for the great post!
Lee
Posted by: Lee | July 15, 2009 at 06:29 AM
Thank you for posting that! Just wanted I need to read today!
Posted by: sara | August 03, 2009 at 07:52 PM
Jenni, first let me apologize for your injury. I think the pledge is an awesome pledge; however, for someone like me still trying to straddle the fence, I found it very difficult to own it. I have been restricting for many years now and want to live a normal healthy life but can't quite figure out how. Everytime I feel like I'm making headway, I relapse... Is it really gonna take an injury to accept that it's okay to gain and appreciate my body and find another coping mechanism. Thanks for the encouraging pledge... good luck!
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Posted by: MindWars | August 18, 2009 at 09:04 PM
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Posted by: Latanzia | December 08, 2009 at 09:05 PM
Just saw this post and absolutely love it! Thanks for sharing. We do not truly appreciate what we have until we don't have it anymore.
Posted by: Katie | January 24, 2010 at 09:51 PM
My name is Danielle Aleman and i am the Secretary of an organization on the campus of UMass Lowell called SISTERS.(Sisters of Integrity Striving Towards Empowerment, Respect, and Success). this week we hosted a 3part series event called "I Love My Body" and I came across this pledge on the internet and i printed it out and we handed out the pledges to everyone who attended the event. Thank you for posting this. It was the icing on the cake of our event! :)
Danielle
Posted by: Danielle Aleman | April 13, 2011 at 08:34 AM