Today I give thanks for my toothbrush.

Does that seem weird?

When you express gratitude, do you have any limitations?

Do you think it’s OK to give thanks for being alive, family and friends, and maybe your house, but not for mundane things like your toothbrush or toilet paper?

I can guarantee that if you went without either for a week, you would absolutely have a new appreciation for your toothbrush and toilet paper!

Just think for a moment about what these mundane items contribute to your wellness.

What about your body? What limitations do you set for what you can appreciate about your magnificent physical home?

I expect that you can appreciate that you are alive and that your heart is beating in and out.

But how much do you appreciate:

• Your thighs?
• Your stomach?
• Your anus?

Did that last one make you spit out your coffee?

Pay attention if you believe that it is not OK to appreciate the “icky” parts of your body, or if you feel shocked, or like this is somehow inappropriate to read over breakfast.

This is your amazing and magnificent body we are talking about!

Every single part of you is valued by Source (God, the Universe, All-That-Is—whatever works for you.) What makes you think any part of you deserves less than total and absolute appreciation?

Here’s the thing—if you are judging it, you can’t also be appreciating it.

Criticism and appreciation are on opposite sides of the energetic coin.

And yes, both are impacting your weight and wellness—whether you are conscious of it or not!

When you are in a state of appreciation, it boosts your body’s ability to heal down to the cellular level. “Light,” positive emotions like appreciation, love, satisfaction, contentment, and joy actually stimulate your metabolism so that you can more easily release the weight.

Bonus! It also adds to the vibrancy of life and relationships, and it feels good!

When you are judging, criticizing, or limiting your gratitude in any way, you are putting your body in a state of stress that stimulates harmful hormonal and other body processes that over time can impact your health AND make it easier to gain and harder to release weight.

Today, pay attention to where you are limiting your gratitude.

Look around at the things you take for granted on a daily basis.

Practice–and indulge in!–feeling grateful for the hard to appreciate. For instance:

• Appreciate your toothbrush as you clean your valuable teeth.
• Appreciate your toilet paper and give thanks for your body’s magnificent elimination system.
• Appreciate all the “unattractive” parts of your body that nonetheless are incredibly functional and are critical to your optimal wellness.

What are you overlooking today that adds to your wellness and wellbeing? Take note of how you feel when you appreciate it.

Acknowledge how that good feeling is giving your weight-loss efforts a significant boost!

Together we can do it!