The Body Image and Self-Esteem Show

There are times when I just want to turn everything off (TV, computer, books, magazines); and that includes life too.

Why? I am sitting down thumbing through pages of a magazine noticing how the women featured are so “put together” (firm abs, thighs not jiggly, smooth skin). Next, you are watching one of the news programs or talk shows on TV…and there are a “million” of them… and this individual you notice in the magazine happens to be a guest on one of these shows and they are discussing some of the day’s current events. They appear to have command of the language as they move the audience and connecting with them. And they look good doing it.

What does that say about me?

Am I unfairly comparing myself to an image that is not attainable? I am aware that most of those pictures have been airbrushed in order to show that perfect image. But it still doesn’t make me feel better. This is what advertisers, the media, and society throws out at you. And their message is this:

If you want to be successful and get all the good things that life has to offer, you will have to conform to this way of thinking…or be prepared to be on the outside looking in. This is what society dictates as their version of normal, which has been around for as long as I can remember.

Why? Because it sells. Period. And I have declared war on this, because it is a system that is designed to fail you and brainwash you into believing that you will never be good enough to be one of us(the beautiful people), no matter how many dollars you spend and products you try.

Guess what people? You’re right. By that definition I will never be one of you. I have heard this “mantra” over and over since I was old enough to know what it meant when someone told me that I was not pretty. From elementary school through college and even in the work place until recently, I was one of those individuals shelling out money buying some of the products and some of them I still use, because they work for me with positive results. The others…we won’t talk about.
But that is how it is.

I want to talk about my world for a moment. The world I live in embraces individuality and accepts that people comes in all different shapes and sizes. Also in the world I live in there is room for improvement; as I stated earlier, even though the women featured in the magazines I browse may have a body that is unrealistic for me, that does mean I can not have the best body for my type…and the healthiest it can be. And that can be obtain via a healthy eating plan and physical movement. Take some time to breathe, love, hug, relax, and laugh…there is way too much negativity to go around.
Send it back where it came from.

I cannot change the world… but I no longer will let the world change me. Be that as it may, after all these years, I am becoming comfortable and confident in who I am…an unique being with some imperfections, not Barbie or any of her friends and relatives.