Thursday, March 8, 2012

international women's day :a pledge to promote more positive body images



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i have a new goal starting today.
now i know international women's day means so many things to so many folks. a day to celebrate women. a day to challenge our world on the topics of injustice, inequality, paths that need to be forged ahead.  a day to reflect on the amazing women in our personal lives, and the amazing women in our collective lives. i think it can mean something different for each of us each year.

this year, i've been especially thinking of how today might be a great moment for me to think about, and do MORE about,  something i find so worrisomely present in the lives of so many of the women i love: improving our body image.

here's my 2012 women's day hope: that all of us, as women, can feel better about ourselves. that we can not just accept, but love ourselves. i'm here to help each of you, too!

i'm so lucky. 
i grew up in a family that taught me to love my body and myself.
a family that showed me everyday that i was beautiful inside and out, regardless of styles, size, fashion, shapes.
a family that gave me the confidence to know that i'm a beautiful person. (admittedly, that's sometimes tough to say outloud!)
i'm so lucky to have that instilled deep deep within me each day.  i'm so lucky to have a pretty wonderful body image.

but i'm guilty.
 i'm guilty of showing mostly fashion-magazine-style photos of women on my blog (i.e. very thin, very tall, very photoshopped, highly unrealistic.) consciously i know this isn't a healthy statement for others, nor does it reflect what i think or feel. so i'm going to try harder to be the change i want to see about that.

i can do more. 
i'm going to try harder to remind the folks around me, in my community, and beyond, that they are beautiful. each of us. 
all of us. 

of course, we all have our down days about our body image.(here are some great ideas on how to help out with that!
but i really feel strongly that loving ourselves, and teaching our children (by example) better ideas on positive body image, and encouraging our friends and family to love themselves, to feel really, sincerely GOOD about all our bodies... even as we grow and change and shrink and expand... well i think that's a super important thing i'm going to work even harder to help promote this year. 

you are beautiful, sweeties.
what's something you're inspired about on international women's day? 

how are you feeling about yourself these days?
small steps: what's something you LOVE about your body?
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3 comments:

  1. Well said, RR.
    You ARE lucky to have been raised like that. We work at things like this often with our 2 girls.

    It's not easy with the images that bombard them everyday.

    Oh. And I love my eyes!

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  2. I love that first poster! I didn't know it was International Women's Day.

    I have ups and downs about my body, but I am happy with it overall. I love that I am brown: brown skin, brown hair, brown eyes. I have never wanted to change that. I think brown is beautiful!

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  3. you're so right, moira. i am lucky about that (and so many many things!) and the images... yes. you're doing a great thing supporting your daughters like that!

    and i LOVE your comment, francesca! how wonderful! i agree!

    you nicies are beautiful!

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thanks so much for your comments, nicies!
it's a joy to read what everyone writes here.
thank you!