"The greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember that."
Richelle Mead I was scrolling Facebook last night and I came across young images of Marilyn Monroe and this one really stood out to me. It stood out because this photo wasnt accompanied by #effyourbeautystandards or with a lengthy explanation about how woman need to accept their curves, rolls, and cellulite. It was just an image of a model from a photo shoot. No photoshopping or repositioning her to elongate her torso or extend her limbs to reduce the appearance of bulk. It called out to me because the beauty standards we hold ourselves to are suffocating. We don't need to explain for posting a picture of ourselves with stretch marks or cellulite or extra pounds or no make-up.We don't need to be afraid of sitting like a normal person or wearing a swimsuit in public. We are the ones in power really. We are the ones marketers are trying to sell too. We are the ones that can control who gets our dollars, attention, and respect. We don't have to hide behind filters and make-up and Spanx. Revolutions start in the shadows, in the minds of you and me. When we decide we reject those standards and aren't going to play by their rules or buy into the lie that we need some THING to make us more acceptable to look at, that's when change begins. When we feel free to post pictures without explanations and without fearing judgement, when we can walk into a room and be so comfortable in our own skin that we aren't comparing ourselves to each other, we take back the power. That's the change I want to see, because when we see our own worth we support each other instead of competing with each other. We are confident enough to start our own damn businesses if we aren't being paid what we are worth. We are free to care for our bodies without getting discouraged that we don't look like another woman. We are already free, we just have to start walking in that freedom. The revolution starts in our thoughts. "I decided that the most subversive, revolutionary thing I could do was to show up for my life and not be ashamed. " Anne Lamott
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Today was the official start of our December challenge group and I've spent the last 18 hours cleaning up after children and their stomach bug. Life doesn't slow down while you work out your routine, you have to forge it in the midst of life. Understanding your vision helps in these kinds of moments. This is what I shared with my group today:
Happy Monday!! I know this will be a challenging month! It's the end of the year with holidays and parties and Christmas shopping. It's hard to get everything done each day WITHOUT a workout! So I just wanted to start our group on the right note! I want to share my vision for you as you create your own. One of the questions I often ask women is, " When was the moment you became aware of your body and were introduced to the idea that were lacking in some way?" For most of us it was in our early teenage years. Maybe the person we had a crush on compared us to someone else, or the attention one of our girlfriends got made us very aware that we had NONE of the qualities that made others notice her. Maybe you had a parent that made comments about your weight or tried to control your food intake. It's helpful to remember. It's helpful to go back and recognize what started the train of thought that makes us feel that we aren't enough. I want to take you back to the moment before that happened when your body was just yours and you weren't even aware of whether you were tall or short or thick or thin. You didn't think about the color of your skin or hair or eyes! You were just YOU and you were excited to be alive! I'm excited for you to set goals and achieve the milestones that will make you feel accomplished but my ultimate goal for you isn't to lose a certain number of pounds or fit into a certain pair of pants. It's to get back to the point where you love your body because its yours and you can revel in your own beauty while you admire other people's. I want you to be aware that just because a dress doesn't fit you well that doesn't make YOU unattractive, it just means its not the dress for you! I want you to be more concerned that the food you are eating is fueling your body and making you healthy MORE than you are concerned what the scale will say the next day. I want a full factory reset on your brain! I don't want to fill your head with MY ideas of success and worth and beauty, I want you to get in touch with what those mean to YOU. Our posts this month are designed to help spark that in you. At the end of this group I want you to be more excited about being you! I want you to have a vision for 2018 that will set you free from others perceptions and help you set boundaries for the negative thoughts that sneak in whether that is coming from you or from others. So let's acknowledge that this will be a challenging month and that at the end our goal is to have grown stronger inside and out. Let's commit to NOT being discouraged if we don't see massive progress in a month that is full of desserts and carbs! Let's do our best to treat ourselves well and eat nutritious food and exercise as we can while still being present for our families. Let's enjoy balance and grace this month! So your assignment today is to think back and answer that question for me. When was the moment you became aware of your body and were introduced to the idea that were lacking in some way? Can you see how it still affecting you today? How can you redirect your thoughts as you become more aware of them? Would it help to have an accountability partner? Or to practice true affirmations when you notice those thoughts sneaking in? I have committed to NOT criticizing my appearance. Not aloud. not in my head. I have daughters who are listening and learning from me and I don't want them to think this way so I have committed to changing. My hubby holds me accountable for how I talk about myself and reminds me when I slip up. It has been hugely helpful! Share your thoughts below! |
Author"And Aubrey was her name. A not so very ordinary girl or name."(Or so says David Gates ;) I'm a wife to Phillip, a mother to Scarlett and Juliet. We live in the beautiful city of Thornton, Co. I'm a recovering red bull addict. I love to read. I hate to cook. I seek to be inspired and also to inspire others. I am a Beachbody Coach on a quest to be truly healthy mind, soul, and body and challenge others to do the same. Archives
February 2018
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