Over the
course of the last year, I have begun to open my eyes to just how brainwashed
and in turn, desensitized, our society is --- largely because of our media --- regarding
who/what is beautiful. It is a very,
very narrow and unrealistic vision indeed. Most of us will never look like we
belong in the cast of the latest “Housewives” show, and there is nothing wrong
with that. But that is exactly what the
media and the $60 billion a year diet industry wants us to think. Shame on them!
In direct response,
or maybe rebellion is the more appropriate term, I have begun embracing my body
and loving it exactly the way it is right now.
And why shouldn’t I? I have a
wonderfully strong and beautiful body that can do all kinds of amazing things –
like running the bases in the yard with my kids, hauling hampers full of clean
laundry up two flights of stairs, and mowing the heck out of my lawn just for
starters. So why should I hide that under
the baggiest clothes I can find?
Guess
what? I’m not going to. I have recently started to give everyone the
proverbial middle finger about that. I
am not hiding my body anymore because frankly, I am not ashamed of my body or
its size. A few weeks ago, I went
shopping for some new summer clothes. I purposely
bought 3 tank tops and two super-hot sleeveless dresses for the summer -- and
did NOT buy cardigans to cover up my arm flab (even though the sales associate
made sure to point them out to me while I was shopping). Why make tank tops in my size if I have to
cover them with a cardigan? Seems highly
suspicious to me!
Now I will be
the first to admit that it takes a while to deprogram from all of the garbage
that the media shoves down our throats about how much we are/are not worth
based on how we conform to a stereotype.
I remind myself daily that I am beautiful, and I am fairly certain that even
the most confident, self-assured people have days where they doubt the
worthiness of the image they see in the mirror.
However, the more I tell myself that I am beautiful, the more I believe it. And the easier it gets to exude the
confidence and – dare I say it – sexiness that I want to portray. It also gets easier to believe people when
they pay you compliments about your appearance. Smile and say “thank you” and
don’t second guess their motivation J
Last week, I dared
to sunbath topless in my backyard. A
year ago that thought would never have even crossed my mind. Lord help the neighbors! But they can always close their blinds if
they are offended. While I’m at it, next
time I mow the lawn I may just go out in my sports bra and not cover up with a
t-shirt on top of it. Most of us have
seen “The Biggest Loser” so it shouldn’t be shocking to see my exposed flab if
they are showing it in prime time television every week. Not to mention the fact that I see men with
humongous beer bellies mowing their lawns topless all the time. So why the hell not?
The time has
come to liberate ourselves from the oppressive chains of the media! I know I am enjoying wearing shorts and tank
tops! I invite you to join me J
If you need some more inspiration or affirmation, here is a blog by the
Militant Baker called “Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls So I Will.” Read it! Get inspired! Believe the truth! http://www.themilitantbaker.com/2013/03/things-no-one-will-tell-fat-girls-so-i.html
In
conclusion, and in celebration of the cornucopia of beautiful people all around
us, here is some food for thought from a woman who wouldn’t bow to the conservative
ideas of country music. She bared her
navel, hiked up her skirt, and belted out tunes of positivity and empowerment
for women. Persistence paid off despite
any negative feedback from the media—and there was a lot of it. She sold millions of records, toured the
world, and built a huge fan base that still exists today. She definitely inspires me to do what I dare
and feel great about myself. Thank you
Shania Twain!
Theme Song #26:
Man! I Feel Like a Woman/Up! By Shania Twainhttp://youtu.be/OzHkkc3SQFg
Working on my
tan lines,
Selina
