HIdden In The Shadows

"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