Flavour of the Day

This is as much a lesson for me as it is for most people I know. The older I get, the more I come to know and embrace this truth. It's not easy - requires unlearning decades of destructive messaging! 

Just reminded a friend of mine: "Do you really "need" to lose 10-15 pounds? Unless it's your doctor advising you for health reasons, you don't "need" to lose anything. Just focus on your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, without even getting on the scale, and you'll find that you'll feel and look amazing no matter what the scale would have read and what anyone else thinks or says."

I myself have flab, cellulite, stretch marks, twisted, enlarged varicose veins, droopy parts...but I'm not complaining. I love getting older because I find that I move closer to accepting and loving myself as I am. 

One of my favourite lyrics of all time comes from singer India Arie in her song "I'm Not Your Average Girl":

I’m not the average girl from your video

And I ain’t built like a supermodel

But I learned to love myself unconditionally.

My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes...

When I look in the mirror and the only one there is me

Every freckle on my face is where it’s supposed to be

And I know my Creator didn’t make no mistakes on me

My feet, my thighs, my lips, my eyes, I’m loving what I see

Need more inspiration?

"To all the girls that think you’re fat because you’re not a size zero, you’re the beautiful one, it's society who’s ugly" 

Marilyn Monroe

"The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you're too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step towards transforming your experience of the world" 

Oprah Winfrey

In "Put on That Swimsuit" (The Huffington Post, 23 June 2014), Jessica Turner writes: 

“Your swimsuit does not define you. You are a mother. You are beautiful…I refuse to miss my children's high-pitched, pool-induced giggles because of my insecurities. I refuse to let other women's judging eyes at the pool prevent me from exposing my kids' eyes to the wonder of the sun glittering on the water. I refuse to let my self-image influence my children's. I refuse to sacrifice memories with my children because of a soft tummy. Because at the end of the day, it is not just about me. It is about my kids... I want them to remember that their mom was there, with them…I hope to encourage you to push your insecurities aside. Put on that bathing suit. Run through the sprinkler. Jump in the pool. Splash. Have fun. Your child will remember those moments and your freedom -- not how you looked in your swimming suit.”

With Omar and Shareef in Aqaba, splashing about and
letting go of body image insecurities to create lasting memories with and for my children