Today it’s time for Feline Life Lesson #5 – Love Your Body.
Cats come in all shapes and sizes and colors, just like we do. Granted, I don’t speak cat, but near as I can see, they don’t make fun of each other. And they don’t compare themselves to each other.
If we could speak cat, I doubt we’d hear anything like this:
Hey, Fluffy, you’re looking a little extra fluffy lately.
Calico? Really? What a goofy coloring. The cat gods must hate you!
Hairless? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You’re HAIRLESS!? Ohmygod, that’s HILARIOUS!
Have you seen that Munchkin cat? His legs are sooo short. And the Manx – no tail. That just looks stupid.
Don’t sit like that, dude, it makes you look fat.
Grumpy cat really got hit with the ugly stick, didn’t he.
Yet, how often do we do that exact thing to each other? And even to ourselves. We constantly compare ourselves to those around us. We look for ways that they are better or, sometimes, how we are better so we can tear them down. When we look for flaws in our body and other’s bodies, we separate ourselves. It makes it impossible to truly connect and be supportive and loving of each other. Constantly worrying about if we measure up only tears us all down.
Cats take great care of their bodies. They are continually grooming themselves. If you’ve ever watched a cat groom, you may have noticed how happy they feel. It’s as if their tongue rubbing against their fur is the most exquisite pleasure they could possibly experience.
When you groom yourself – shower, do your hair and so on – do you take the time to enjoy it? Do you take the time to appreciate your body? Or do you try to get it over with as quickly as possible? Are you thankful for the steamy mirror so you can’t see yourself clearly?
It’s time to be more like a cat and Love Your Body in two major ways:
1. Stop comparing yourself.
- When you feel yourself making negative comparisons, find something positive.
- Stop reading fashion magazines because, as Baz Luhrmann says, they’ll only make you feel ugly.
- Look for ways you are the same as others – intellectually, spiritually, passions, etc so you can connect instead of being separate.
2. Appreciate your body and take good care of it.
- Deliberately look in the mirror and make a habit of finding things you love about yourself.
- When you find yourself being critical, look for how that body part serves you (for example, your tummy may not be flat, but it digests your food and helps keep you healthy.)
- Touch yourself deliberately. When you put on lotion, enjoy the sensation. When you wash your hair, enjoy the lather. Notice how your clothes feel on your skin. And so on.
- Eat healthy and exercise, and do both in a way that YOU enjoy.
We are conditioned to feel like we will never measure up to the standards set out by society. Realize that those standards are created by someone else and are completely unrealistic. Watch cats and live by Feline Life Lesson #5 – Love Your Body!
Meow!
Christie Mawer – The Bad Kitty
thebadkittyis@gmail.com