Most of the time you have to read to the end of the blog post to get to the moral of the story, but lucky for you, I’m going to get straight to the point today. Because, well, there is SO much magic in appreciation that it needs to be shared.

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Have you ever purchased a house? If you haven’t, imagine that you want to buy a home. You make your house selection carefully, pack up all of your belongings and nestle in because it’s where you want to create a home. You, of course, will want that home that you invested in so deeply to appreciate in value over time. There’s no sense in buying if it’s just going to depreciate after the purchase. Am I right?

This is where the magic happens.

If we translate this into terms that apply to investing in ourselves rather than a big home purchase, this is what we get: By under appreciating ourselves, we only decrease our own value. Therefore, the MORE we INVEST in and APPRECIATE about OURSELVES, the GREATER our own SELF-WORTH.

Magic, right?

I listened to the host, Jody Moore, of Bold New Mom Podcast talk about Appreciation, Gratitude, Abundance and Desire and couldn’t help but harp on this point of appreciation. (Super quick listen if you’re interested!) If you’ve been around here a while, you know that I am not one of those women who was born with an abundance of confidence. (See Style Alert: How to Wear A Lack of Confidence and definitely read this one.) I have a natural tendency of self-doubt, but I’m on a constant quest to be the best version of myself, so I’m always learning + evolving + finding ways to improve. And that is why I shared this post on Instagram yesterday:

 

15 weeks vs. 30 weeks ? Since this will be our third baby, my body had no problem remembering how to form a bump from the very beginning…like at the first sign of the positive test my pants were a little tighter at the button ? My body continues to grow in all sorts of ways (as it should) and while I KNOW this growth is beautiful, it’s quite a bit uncomfortable for me too. I’m NOT one of those women that was born with an abundance of confidence. To be honest, it’s quite the opposite. It’s something I realllly have to work at it. Watching my body grow with this baby is a blessing beyond measure, but it also challenges me (and my confidence) to the core. It’s no coincidence that God gave me GIRLS to raise because now, I’m raising those two little girls who are watching my every move and carefully listening to every word I speak, so I HAVE to be a good role model to them. And do better for myself, even with an expanding body, because I want to raise them to know they are SO much more than their appearance. . I don’t check the scale this pregnancy and I take a deep breath before letting myself think anything negative about my pregnancy that seems to have traveled into my thighs, or that cellulite that has popped up in new places, or the extra pounds I’m wearing these days. Instead of the negativity, I tell those little girls just how amazing it is that I have a BABY growing in my belly –especially when my three year old points out just how big my belly is getting. ? I’m learning to love, embrace and not hide my pregnancy curves. After all, it is a miracle. . If any of you are out there with these same type of feelings, please know that I’m cheering you on. I’m with you (and your little miracle). ❤️

A post shared by l i s a • b o e t t c h e r (@lisa.boettcher) on Sep 27, 2017 at 6:42am PDT

I just want to keep it real. My body is getting bigger. And slower. And rounder. And I’m embracing it all to the best of my ability. After all, the body changes can be challenging to accept, but I am growing a life inside of me and that is far too beautiful to overlook + as I mentioned in my Instagram post, I’m raising two little GIRLS and I want to be a strong, courageous, confident mama for them to look up to.

So, here I am, practicing appreciation to quite literally appreciate my own value. And, take it from me, though it’s sometimes a hard (and not natural) investment to make… it WORKS.

Honestly, I just feel compelled to share this goodness with you. And, I want to be here to encourage you and say – make the investment. Appreciate yourself, even in those times when it seems challenging to do so (i.e. current pregnancy with Baby #3 for me) and you will gain so much reward in result.

Will you tell me how you are going to appreciate your own value today?

 

XO

 

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