We know if we are inspired in our bodies. We know if we feel good about the physical choices we are making. We know if we are supporting our bodies to have energy, mobility and endurance.

If we are not inspired to take care of our bodies, inspired by eating healthily and some form of being active, we place limitations, or a ceiling, on how far inspiration can take us in our capacity to be happy.

Self-care is a major thread of inspiration that is woven into being inspired in our bodies. Our bodies are our vehicles of life. They are ours to take care of. If we aren’t taking care of them, they show signs of stress and wear. If we are taking care of our bodies, they show signs of healing and resiliency. A healthy body is an inspired body, and an inspired body is a happy body.

Being inspired in our bodies is not foundationally about loving our physical appearance. If we’re dreaming about a perfect body or obsessing about what we don’t like about our bodies, we’re pursuing the wrong focus.

We don’t need to focus on what we don’t like about our bodies in order to be motivated to change. Our bodies mostly reflect how connected we are to our true selves, so you can skip self-criticism and jump straight to focusing on honoring your true self through honoring your body.

There are many physical ailments that can prevent us from having the body we want or having as active a body as we’d like. Those with disabilities, or temporary or permanent physical ailments that reduce their ability to participate in all the inspiring activities they’d like, are being called upon to have courage every day and are an inspiration to those around them. If the focus is on being inspired rather than physical limitations, we can feed our souls, spirits, and in-spire our bodies to be as healthy and strong as they can be, regardless of any limits on our physical abilities.

Even when we’re making inspired choices, our bodies will not change in a day, so we must give ourselves a break from judging what we don’t like about ourselves physically.

Let’s not focus on how our bodies look, but focus on how our bodies feel. Do your best to help your body feel inspired every day. If you are in alignment with your true self and focusing on what inspires you and your body, your body has its best chance to be healthier and happier by default as a direct result of your choices.

We must not take our bodies or our health for granted. Especially as we age, we will face physical setbacks at some point, but we can build a strong immune system by eating healthily and getting regular exercise. We can remain com-mitted to doing the best we can to fuel our body with what inspires it: healthy fuel and activity.

Let’s celebrate our healthiest times by maximizing our inspired activities that someday we may not be able to do as easily. Fuel your body to maximize your energy, mobility and endurance, and you’ll be able to do more of what inspires you and feel great doing it.

WHY WE DON’T TAKE CARE OF OUR BODIES

We don’t always eat healthily or exercise because we simply don’t want to. Sometimes junk food tastes better. It’s cheaper and easier. “I’m tired. I need to veg out. I’m too tired to cook. It’s too cold/hot to go outside. I don’t want to pay for a gym/yoga/etc. membership. I don’t want it that badly (until I get depressed about it most other moments).”

A lot of diets don’t work because they are about “I’ll be happy when.” They are based on control. They feel oppressive.

Focus on the inspired why of your goal (not the what). Do you want to have more energy to run around with your kids? Do you want to unlock opportunities to travel more? Do you want to experience less pain, injuries, or ailments? Do you want to prolong your life to ensure your bucket list is checked off? Do you feel more confident when you take care of yourself, helping you participate in all the activities you enjoy without limitations? Do you want more endurance playing your favorite sport, or be more physically capable to do more of what inspires you?

If we only focus on how many pounds we want to lose or what we don’t like about our bodies, we’ll miss the magic of the journey. Make a list or inspirational photo board of the why’s. Make a list or use photos to remind you why you’re inspired to make choices that honor and inspire your body. Enjoy feeling good being active and eating well because it inspires you, not because you can see changes each time.

If we can’t find a way to tap into inspiration, we either won’t be successful in our goals or we will be miserable while we’re on the journey.

If you want to change something, you have to change something. Don’t like running? A gym membership is too expensive? Don’t want to be embarrassed in front of the cross-fit pros? Then don’t do those things, but do SOMETHING. Stop using all those excuses and create an inspired solution: Do a YouTube yoga video for free in your living room.

We are capable of changing our enjoyment of activities and life in general. A friend lost 80 pounds by turning to clean eating and exercise. She had to learn how to cook. She had to learn how to exercise. She had to get over the self-consciousness of being in the “men’s” section of the gym. And now she is a wealth of knowledge and talks about being a coach one day for other women who started where she did.

We don’t need to go to an extreme, but we do need to find at least one physical activity, even if it’s just a casual stroll in the great outdoors, and one healthy meal a day that we can get inspired about. Once we spark that inspiration, it will catch fire and light up other inspirational opportunities and choices.