make-a-goal monday again!

So last week, my goal was to take better care of myself and my health.  In the midst of a stressful, busy week, the last thing I needed was to feel gross.  I can't say I did an A+ job on this one, but I did make a few mindful adjustments to the care and well-being of myself!  However, it got me thinking about some other things, too. 

While it is such an important thing to take care of my body and eat the right things and get plenty of exercise and rest for health benefits, let's face it -- I am a girl.  And along with that comes insecurity and self-image issues.  Not to say that this is a HUGE problem for every girl, but I think at some point in every woman's life she has faced them. I think I can speak for a majority of women out there -- sometimes it's just hard to accept ourselves the way we are.  I definitely have better days then others, but almost every day I am displeased with something about my physical appearance. 

Maybe I feel too short. Maybe it's the pimple on my face. Maybe it's the way my hair refuses to cooperate.  It's too staright. It's too wavy. It's too flat. It's too frizzy. I feel fat. My nose is too big. I feel fat. My teeth aren't white enough. I feel fat. My face is too round.  I feel fat. Yadadadada.  Do you see a pattern? It just goes on and on.

I am just saying this because it's true, and I know I'm not alone in this. I'm not going to lie and say that I am 100% confident all the time. I know for a fact that poor body-image affects girls on a daily basis.  I see it all the time.  I led a group of middle school girls for three years and bore witness to their awkward, stumbling attempts to fit in. I have some of the most beautiful friends in the world, and I've seen the struggles that they go through.  I watched an interview of Audrey Hepburn, the classiest and most elegant woman of probably all time, and she even related her moments of body-image issues.  The truth is, we live in a broken world where lies are hurled at us from every direction, and unrealistic expectations are piled upon us everywhere we turn.

I, for one, am sick of beating myself up so often.  I am tired of looking into the mirror and being unhappy with myself.  I can make wise choices and take care of myself, but beyond that, this is who I am, this is what I've been given, and God made me beautiful.  Life is so exhausting and miserable when I can't accept myself.  So GOAL: this week I am not going to let negative mindsets control me.  When a negative thought starts to creep in, I am going to give it up to God and choose to remember a truth.  I am going to celebrate in the fact that I am wonderfully made.

I came across this neat website called The Beauty Bean. You should check it out! It's all about supporting the natural inner and outer beauty of women (not cheesy, I promise).  It was created as an alternative to all the other "beauty" magazines out there that promote unrealistic body ideals.  The creator Alexis Wolfer recently launched a new movement called Make-Up Free Mondays! The idea is to go every Monday without an ounce of make-up on your face.  But beyond that, it's about expanding the idea of outer beauty.  There is nothing wrong with wearing make-up, but there is also nothing wrong with not wearing it every now and then! So I think I'm going to do this, too. Who wants to join?!