My Skin No Longer Fits...
After 6+ decades of health and beauty ads, fashion dolls, health club memberships, and a growing life expectancy, we have all learned that we should be ashamed of our bodies. Women and men, boys and girls have been convinced that their bodies just do not measure up. We have coined a term for this, body shaming.
We have become uncomfortable in our body and this has led to eating disorders, unnecessary plastic surgery, depression, and even suicide. Body shaming has become part of our everyday language. We compliment women on their looks. We appeal to vanity and sex-appeal to sell everything from dog food to real estate. The young, the middle aged, and older people are vulnerable because of our culture’s obsession with having the body of a twenty-year-old that 99% of twenty year olds do not even have. The use of Photoshop to enhance a picture to look like Barbie and Ken only reinforces how ashamed we should be of our bodies.
The fact is that we are all living in “imperfect” bodies. The perfect images we are fed are intended to drain our bank accounts. And, when we allow the “imperfections” to taint our body image, we will do whatever we can to feel better about ourselves which usually involve spending a great deal of money. And in the end, we will still be “imperfect’ and broke!
But there is a better way. We can evolve a more realistic and positive body image. We can learn to see our “imperfections” as part of what makes us unique. We can accept the changes that come with age as signs of survival rather than the “ravages of time.” We can look at others and acknowledge their uniqueness without comparing them to ourselves.
This doesn’t make sense. But it happens because this is more a matter of the will than the mind. Body shaming is an emotional response to a selective set of perceptions and thoughts. To evolve a better body image will require a changing of the will. Then we will help the mind re-select more appropriate thoughts that, in turn, will change our perceptions of ourselves and others.
The tip for today is intended to help us begin that change of will, to give ourselves a break from the critical voices that constantly point out our “imperfections?” I encourage you to begin this journey toward evolving a healthier body image and discover just how unique you really are.
We have become uncomfortable in our body and this has led to eating disorders, unnecessary plastic surgery, depression, and even suicide. Body shaming has become part of our everyday language. We compliment women on their looks. We appeal to vanity and sex-appeal to sell everything from dog food to real estate. The young, the middle aged, and older people are vulnerable because of our culture’s obsession with having the body of a twenty-year-old that 99% of twenty year olds do not even have. The use of Photoshop to enhance a picture to look like Barbie and Ken only reinforces how ashamed we should be of our bodies.
The fact is that we are all living in “imperfect” bodies. The perfect images we are fed are intended to drain our bank accounts. And, when we allow the “imperfections” to taint our body image, we will do whatever we can to feel better about ourselves which usually involve spending a great deal of money. And in the end, we will still be “imperfect’ and broke!
But there is a better way. We can evolve a more realistic and positive body image. We can learn to see our “imperfections” as part of what makes us unique. We can accept the changes that come with age as signs of survival rather than the “ravages of time.” We can look at others and acknowledge their uniqueness without comparing them to ourselves.
This doesn’t make sense. But it happens because this is more a matter of the will than the mind. Body shaming is an emotional response to a selective set of perceptions and thoughts. To evolve a better body image will require a changing of the will. Then we will help the mind re-select more appropriate thoughts that, in turn, will change our perceptions of ourselves and others.
The tip for today is intended to help us begin that change of will, to give ourselves a break from the critical voices that constantly point out our “imperfections?” I encourage you to begin this journey toward evolving a healthier body image and discover just how unique you really are.
TIP - The Blessing Shower
Each time you bathe or take a shower, take a few moments to intentionally acknowledge each of your body parts.
As you feel the warm water, name them with gratitude. Acknowledge something that this body part does for you. “I am grateful for my nose because with it, I can smell the roses.” “I am grateful for my stomach, it helps me feed my body and soul.”
As you move from one body part to the next, continue to affirm what that body part does to bring you joy into your life. If a negative idea intrudes, label it as negative and let the water wash it down the drain.
While you dry yourself, gently remind yourself that your body is a gift that only you can cherish and protect. Acknowledge that is may not be “perfect”, but it is yours to enjoy for a lifetime. Allow your body image to evolve from shame to gratitude.
As you feel the warm water, name them with gratitude. Acknowledge something that this body part does for you. “I am grateful for my nose because with it, I can smell the roses.” “I am grateful for my stomach, it helps me feed my body and soul.”
As you move from one body part to the next, continue to affirm what that body part does to bring you joy into your life. If a negative idea intrudes, label it as negative and let the water wash it down the drain.
While you dry yourself, gently remind yourself that your body is a gift that only you can cherish and protect. Acknowledge that is may not be “perfect”, but it is yours to enjoy for a lifetime. Allow your body image to evolve from shame to gratitude.
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