Be-you-tiful

Well - no cinnamon rolls tonight.  I could  not get comfortable last night. I went from hot to cold and back again.  I tossed and I turned.  The only position that felt comfortable was on my stomach and I get headaches from sleeping on my stomach.  It's a visious cycle. 

I for sure am not getting to those cinnamon rolls.  I can't wait for an opinion piece, so I'll skip to Wednesday's "Say What"-ever I want blog.  Today at work we got the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.  I hate that thing.  I especially hate when girls say they are looking at it for the swimsuits.  Really?!?  Some of the girls aren't even WEARING ONE!
 I admit that I am a person that has always struggled with body image.  Still do and probably will forever.  I don't think my mother has a good self-esteem and she wasn't able to teach her daughters how to love themselves.  I love this image I saw the other day on the Girl's on the Run facebook page.  It had Kate Winslet saying how she had never heard any of the women in her life say that they were proud of their bodies and how she makes sure to teach her daughter how to appreciate her body for what it is, not isn't. 

I wish we had more role models like Kate Winslet who say: I don't have "perfect" boobs.  I can completely understand because I don't either.  I look more like "balogna Barb" in Pitch Perfect to be honest.  I'm a little sad this girl was mocked for her different body.  It is extremely awkward with her going braless, but I give this girl kodos because she will probably be forever known as the girl with bologna tits.  I know, I know - overshare!  Heck, if this blog post makes one girl feel a little less like: "omg, I'm a freak because I'm the only one with a body like this!" -I did what I had hoped to do.

We wonder why girls in our country deal with such low self-esteem.  It is because we see girls with Kate Upton's not typical body praised so openly and we realize that we can't compare to these beautiful women.  Our boyfriends, male bosses, brothers, and male friends look at these girls and I'm sure are a little disappointed when they don't get those massive jugs, perfect cleavage, and amazing asses in real life.  I have to learn to let go of hating these women for their amazing bodies.  I need to change my image of me and my beauty.  It is a lot to overcome when you've had your mother tell you: "You don't look that great, let's be honest.  I wouldn't want you going around with rose colored glasses." 
I need to "breath in love and breath out jealousy; breath in peace and breath out insecurity."  - Renee knew exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.  Yoga with her and my other teachers have made me appreciate my body for all the wonderful things it can do, not just fitting into the body norms of the moment.  I shouldn't have to feel that I would be considered beautiful if only I'd been born around the time of the Renaissance.  Heck, if I'd been a few decades earlier, I'd probably have been considered too skinny!  Marilyn Monroe wasn't Kate Upton sized.  She had great undergarments and killer curves to her not size zero body.


PS: Yes, that is Marilyn's wide booty. 
 

So here is to the Tina Feys and Kate Winslets who are wickedly gorgeous telling us that not everyone is going to have the "perfect" body and that is ok. Ok, better than just ok; it's great to have a body that you are proud of! Tina's observations also make it so obvious how ridiculous beauty standards are; really, we are trying to meet those standards just with our body shapes!  That's not even counting having to dress it nicely in all the latest fashions and apply perfect makeup that is perfectly framed by spectaculate hair.  So maybe this still is a Testy Tuesday and all of us women just have to look in the mirror and say: "I am beautiful" along with all the amazing things your body does for you.  Say it until it sinks in and we can deal with the Kate Uptons of the world and their perfect bodies on display because our bodies do so much more than create a shelf of perfect breasts or a pair of tight cheeks!

I can say I'm grateful for a body that still moves. I can run, walk, skip.  It just powered through an amazing session of yoga that left my legs a little jiggly by the end.  Despite the slight cold I have, I'm healthy.  I have teeth that are healthy and well cared for - which is a perfect accesory for the smile I typically have plastered across my face. My feet keep me well founded when I'm doing yoga and running or trying something like surfing! I am beautiful because I am me and there is only one like me out there. 
*Now seems like a good time to put on Beautiful by Xtina and sing it for all it's worth!*

An exciting side note: My review of Samatahiti finally got posted on TripAdvisor.  Check it out and don't laugh at my grammatical error.  Remember I was typing that thing up with one finger out of action.  Come on, who doesn't want to surf and do yoga in such an amazing place with such amazing people?!?