Last Sunday the 5-year-olds in my Primary class started to argue about who had the most beautiful eyes. I don’t know how they got started but they each claimed that their eyes were the prettiest. One of the girls with almost black eyes decided her eyes weren’t the nicest but her hair was. The kids then went off, each stating what made them better looking or somehow physically superior. Their idea of physically superior, though, is pretty hilarious: someone was proud of having the biggest feet and another child beamed about being able to burp super loudly. After about ten minutes I couldn’t help but laugh. We adults are so different than children. No grown-up would ever claim they had the most beautiful or best anything. Part of it is modesty and not wanting to brag, but part of it is the fact that somebody will always have better eyes/testimony/living room furniture.

That’s a sad statement: that we are too insecure to state what we like about ourselves; that somehow it’s improper to speak up and admit that there are things that we are proud of. It’s so easy to feel like we got the short end of the stick and somebody else has it better than us. But we need to resist that way of thinking. You don’t have to have the most beautiful eyes in the world to think your own eyes are really pretty.

We all know the importance of gratitude. There is not one of us, I believe, who thinks that gratitude for the gifts that we’ve been given is pointless and silly. The more gratitude we feel, the more we will be able to feel. And, of course, the happier and more content we feel. So in the spirit of my little Primary class, let’s express some gratitude for our bodies and our selves! Forget your insecurities and tell me some things you like about yourself, or something you’re good at.   I’ll go first:   I’m grateful for having big teeth because it translates into a really pretty smile (and I’m thankful for braces!). I’m thankful for feeling happy pretty much every day. I have sad and angry episodes but for the most part I’m happy most of the time. I don’t know how I lucked out with that but I did.  Lastly, I love my ankles. They’re the only part of my that stays thin no matter what.

What about you? Are you brave enough to tell me what you like about yourself?