Recommended Reading
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
“How might women act beyond the myth? Who can say?… Maybe the less pain women inflict on our bodies, the more beautiful our bodies will look to us. Perhaps we will forget to elicit admiration from strangers, and find that we don’t miss it; perhaps we will await our older faces with anticipation, and be unable to see our bodies as a mass of imperfections, since there is nothing on us that is not precious. Maybe we won’t want to be the “after” anymore.
How to begin? Let’s be shameless. Be greedy. Pursue pleasure. Avoid pain. Wear and touch and eat and drink what we feel like. Tolerate other women’s choices. Seek out the sex we want and fight fiercely the sex we do not want. Choose our own causes. And once we break through and change the rules so our sense of beauty cannot be shaken, sing that beauty and dress it up and flaunt it and revel in it: In a sensual politics, female is beautiful.”
Hey- don’t be afraid to seek support!
Especially if you are a young adult, it is the perfect time to get help or find a professional to talk to. So many bad habits form during this time but they don’t have to be solidified. Think to the future: do you want to see yourself hurt and suffering this way? Some things cannot be changed, but many can. The first and most important factor to target is the way that you think to the best of your ability. By being open and finding support, a professional can give you the emotional and sometimes physical support that you need in your specific situation. Too many people are silent about their demons- it’s time to stand up and fight against those habits that hurt! Help yourself by letting others help you.
Body Positive Tip .001.
Treat yourself with kindness.
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This is so important! Negative energy has a lasting impact on your self esteem and your wellbeing. Even when you mess up, even when you do something wrong, it is SO important to treat yourself with kindness. Would you insult your best friend the way you insult yourself?
Ani Difranco, Evolve
So I walk like I’m on a mission cuz that’s the way I groove
I got more and more to do, I got less and less to prove
It took me too long to realize that I don’t take good pictures
Cuz I have the kind of beauty that moves
