Power & Beauty

You know what is ridiculous? I just cropped a picture for Facebook because I did not like the way my stomach looked in it. It was a bathing suit picture.

I don’t want to care about that stuff anymore. I want to take care of my body and eat healthy, but I do not want to obsess and judge myself anymore. I was thinking about this picture that was taken at the beach, and wondering why it bothers me so much that I would feel the need to crop a picture for Facebook. It doesn’t make anyone love me any more or less. No matter how tight my abs are- that does not affect my happiness. Sure, perhaps it would give myself a temporary boost to have a six pack, but my body is beautiful now and I don’t want to always be striving for it to be better. I do not want to be in the rat race of always thinking things could be a little bit better.

Then I began to think about how if I have a daughter I want her to feel free from judgement and not obsess about her looks. I want her to love herself and see herself as I would see her- with unconditional love.

I started to think about how I would react to the picture of myself if it were my daughter or a best friend (since we should love and treat ourselves with that unconditional love we have for those nearest and dearest to us). My reaction would be totally different. I would love the picture! I would tell her she looks beautiful and really mean it! And that’s the reaction that I should have toward myself.

And I know I’m not the only one. I’ve watched most of my friends do this. We pick apart each picture of ourselves. “Don’t post that, my arm looks fat” or “Gross. I look disgusting.”

I want us, and I mean women, to let go of those insecurities and see ourselves through the eyes of unconditional love. Because in that space, five pounds doesn’t make an ounce of difference. And I want us, as women, to be less judgmental of each other. But how do we do this collectively?

I believe there is change happening. We’re finally starting to see a shift in the idea of what ‘perfect’ is. And it starts with the individual.

I know I still have work to do in this area- but I am hoping that sharing this with you helps us to individually and collectively embrace our power and own our beauty.