The Gratidudes Blog

BradiDude and I have always said that we want the media we create to be like the Shrek movies. Meaning, we are creating media that is appreciated by all generations, that makes people laugh and remember who they are. A few weeks ago I saw a comment on the Gratitude Dance .  ”Who is the Shrek at 0:24 on the right.”  I fast forwarded to that place. It was me!  I was that Shrek.  I guess the universe really did deliver and with a sense of humour.

What was cool about this experience was that I was able to laugh at myself. My ears stick out a little. I used to hate that about myself. Now, I appreciate it. I freakin’ love Shrek and honoured that I have that in common. I believe that the US President has similar ears. I have been able to reframe how I see myself with a little appreciation.

Now, a challenge for you!

I wanted to write and challenge you to a week long mission. I want to hear how you are feeling at the end of it. And if you are already putting this into practice, as I know many of you are, I would love for you to write some comments below. We like to know that our work is adding value to your life and in return would love to hear the difference any of it is making.

1) Every morning when you wake up, stare up at the ceiling, before getting out of bed.

2) Imagine that there is a great big machine scanning your body for doses of appreciation.

3) What parts of your body have been left unappreciated for a while? Give you a clue. They are the ones you look at in the mirror and say are ugly, or that you don’t like them. They are also the parts of your body that are injured or hurting at the moment.

4) Appreciate the major limbs of your body, the features that are prominent, the features about yourself that you have not liked. Only move on to the next limb or feature once you are truly in the state of appreciation of that body part.

5) Once you have finished scanning your whole body, and feeling the appreciation, you are now ready to get out of bed and start your gratitude dance!

I do this before workouts in the gym, before runs, and at the beginning of my day. I feel a tonne of difference throughout my day when I start it out this way. I get my clients to do it too, and they report having a way different experience during their workouts.

When I was 18 I dislocated my little finger. It was only when I realised how much I was limited in what I could do that I realised how valuable that little finger truly was and how my body suffered as a result of it not being usable. From that point on I made the decision to appreciate my body parts, every one of them! Especially the ones I was hating. And back then I was hating alot of it.

Do the same for yourself. I know in working one-on-one with people on a daily basis that this is not yet the natural state of being for the mass of humanity. It is changing! Will you join in the ride?

Please send us your comments and let us know how this is helping you!

Also, I have a Free teleseminar coming up in just under two weeks. For all you GratiDudes and GratiDudettes who are looking after your body through exercise, I have some valuable information to share that I have not seen in many mainstream fitness magazines or books yet. Register today to benefit from this.

http://www.matthewashdown.com/workshops/sacred-fitness/

In gratitude,

MattiDude