Give Thanks for Your Body to Get Ready for Change

This Thanksgiving I'm giving thanks for my body. I may be gaining weight on the daily, but I am creating new life. How amazing! I am so thankful for the baby BOY that's growing in my tummy. 

You should also give thanks for your body. Man or woman, our body is an incredible gift, strong and transformative. We have the ability to change our body. Change doesn't come without some hard work and determination, but it does happen. 

My sister, author of the book God & Boobs, wrote such an inspiring post about change on her blog last week that I couldn't resist sharing it with you. I am so thrilled to feature my first guest blogger! Angie Schuller Wyatt gives us three simple tips to get ready for change:

Now is the time to get ready for change! We are just weeks away from the New Year. You will have a fresh set of goals, a renewed hope and a revived energy for your New Year vision. Though holiday fun is upon us... NOW is the time to get ready for change! You may be tempted to think that my encouragement is premature. Nope. It's right on time! You don't want to miss out! Here are 3 reasons to get ready for change now:

1. Gratitude is a Force Multiplier! Thanksgiving is for giving thanks, and gratitude is a force multiplier. Many people think of New Year's resolutions as a reaction to areas in your life where you are dissatisfied. If you feel overweight, then your goal is to lose weight. Dissatisfaction might motivate you to get ready for change, but it will rarely get you to the finish line. 

If you want to lose weight, be grateful for the skills that can get you there. Think less about being overweight, and more about how you have overcome obstacles in the past. Gratitude will help you get ready for change! 

2. Fat and Happy Slows you Down! "Fat and happy" is what we do during the holidays. We sit around watching football, baking pies, eating like Vikings, spending too much money and then sit around some more with our family. We tune out the world around us and revel in the Christmas lights. And yet, very few people would say that the holidays are restful. In God and Boobs the book, I explain how true rest is an active state. "Fat and happy" is a passive rest that ultimately makes people feel lethargic, unmotivated and depressed. 

Consider this! If you want to lose weight in the New Year, why would you sit around now with the goal of running on January 1st? Wouldn't it make more sense to start walking each day now! If you want to make a change in your life, waiting until after the holidays is often the equivalent of running the ball toward the opposing team's goal. Then, in the new year, making a 180 degree turn and start running the right direction. Get ready for change by starting in the right direction. 

3. Baby Steps Win the Race! When you start something new, it will almost always take twice as long as you think it will. ALSO, the hardest part will be the starting part. AND, the starting part will be filled with baby steps. There's time for baby steps during the holidays!

For many people, the hardest part about change is determining what you want to change. Why waste the first few weeks of the New Year just trying to make a decisions? Decide now and prepare for later. If you start working now, during the holidays is may look like you're getting "fat and happy" - but really, your mind will be simmering on your character development. 

If you want to push a boulder down a hill, the hardest part is getting the boulder to budge! It's all downhill from there. So, get ready for change now, and then run the race with endurance!