Pretty Curves.

"81% of women feel inadequate compared to the media's image of women." -Dove

{Campaign for Beauty!}

I wasn't going to blog today. It's vacation because I have the day off. But I can't help myself from sharing a bit of inspiration with you :

It's been a while since I've felt pretty. My husband tells me "you are the prettiest girl in the universe!" and for some reason I don't see how anyone could think that. This is not a pitty post by any means! Today I woke up inspired -- I was reading one of my favorite blogs Boho Photography and I couldn't stop pressing the "older posts" button. I could not take my eyes off of the honesty she portrays in her post. She is brave, and such a calming spirit. She is so motherly and calming, that she sends me comfort without even knowing it.

I got to a video that she posted in late July, and she was talking about how she had been feeling uncomfortable with her curves. She had gained weight since her wedding and realized she was covering her body in layers of clothes... until her husband brought home a strapless dress (which she was wearing in the video, I assume). This caught me off guard. I thought... wow she's so beautiful how could she feel that way? I guess every woman struggles through these moments from time to time. It totally changed my perspective!

I have so many gorgeous friends, all different body types, and I have never judged their bodies. Why are we so hard on ourselves? I began thinking about how I have been stuck in the past, in high school, when I was about 20 pounds lighter. The same 20 pounds I have been trying to get rid of for the past three years!

enough is enough!!!
 

Reading her blog sparked so much inspiration in me. I got up and turned up my stereo and began danging around my living room with my dogs. I have never felt so beautiful and full of life. So I have decided: I am not going to wait until I lose those extra pounds before I feel pretty. I am not going to let it hold me back and I am no longer going to hide my body in layers of clothes!  

Try not to compare yourself to others - this is what I struggle with and what I am going to work on. Every woman is beautiful and unique, and no matter what the media says is "pretty"..... they are wrong!

We are all pretty!!!

This is my goal: to continue eating healthy, working out and treating my body with respect. I am not going to let my insecurities hold me back, because everyone has them and all they do is limit our possibilities. We are all beautiful and we are all connected to each other -- I will support my friends as they continue to support me, and I will believe my husband when he tells me that I am pretty!

Live for the moment and do not get stuck in the past or focus too much on the future. This moment is all we have, and before we know it - it's gone.