Why Do We Do That
By Nancy Werteen and Kim Howie
The Power of Joy
Let's Be Trend-Setters!
I’m wondering how long I have to be on this planet before I finally stop berating myself for really insignificant, seriously blown out of proportion flaws that I can rattle off about my body. The first one is obvious. I'm too tall. Number two-too flat-chested. Those are broad and easy to spot, but I never stop there. I like to dig at the things most people would never even notice about me. Here’s one of my favorites. My feet are nasty. My second toes are way longer than the firsts and so they take on finger like qualities that give me the too much to drink entertaining ability to pick up just about anything with my feet. Yeah it’s funny, but on a day-to-day basis, I avoid sandals at all costs because someone might notice my goofy toes. Let’s move on to my ears. My left ear sort of didn’t get fully cooked in the oven and so it slumps a bit. For years, I resisted short hair to cover said slumpy ear. I’m always reminding my hair stylist not to cut too much around my ears, even though she says she can’t see what I’m talking about. She’s just a good liar, I'm sure.
That’s my partial list, but believe me, we could go on all day, and I could work my way from that ear to the toes ripping apart just about everything in between. So, how long? How many times do I have to tell myself this or that about me is totally gross? I'm not sure. But I am starting to think that this prosecution argument really isn’t necessary. I know it all already. Know it by heart, in fact.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just give a big FU to all of that? Of course it would. While that sounds simple, it never seems to be that easy, does it?
This time of year, I think we all do it. It’s April. Time for swimsuit shopping. That gets me going on my c-section belly. At The Wisdom Coalition, we talk about negative self-talk all the time and yet that creepy voice is always with me. I’m going to make a pledge to myself to be a little kinder and to create a list on the other side of this rant about all the awesome things about my body, although, right now, I can only think of one or two. Imagine if I could find as many things to like about my body as I can to criticize? Now that would be something! I’ll try if you try. We can be trend-setters, change agents. Hey that’s two nice things already!!! Maybe this will actually work! I hope so because I know all this negative rumination is a serious waste of time. And one thing we could all use is more time. So join me! Let’s change the dialogue and the situation together!
The Power of Why
Love The Skin You're In
How do you feel about your body? Research shows that nine out of ten women are dissatisfied with their body and their weight. That means 90% of us women have a negative relationship with our bodies! This is incredibly sad, and has been labeled by experts as a silent epidemic.
Why are we so dissatisfied with our bodies? The main reason is comparison. We are comparing ourselves to others and feel as though we are not measuring up. Yes, we all know better than to compare ourselves to false ideals created by airbrushed photos in magazines or filtered photos on social media; but the irony is that we oftentimes compare ourselves to other women we know, who, as it turns out, are also dissatisfied with their bodies. This should give us all something to think about!
The truth is that we cannot walk through life feeling empowered and full of joy when we are unhappy with ourselves. So how do we shift our perspective on our bodies? It starts with gratitude.
- Take the time to truly appreciate all that your body does for you.
- Think through every action you take from the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you lay down in bed at night, and be mindful of each body part as you move throughout the day.
- Actively thank your body at the end of each day for supporting you and enabling you to accomplish each and every task you completed over the course of the day.
- Praise your body: show it some love by pampering it with self-care and honoring it with rest.
And remember, we only get one body to last us for our entire lifetime, so treat it with respect! Love the skin you're in!!