Giving ourselves a break

I attended a writers conference over the weekend and one of the sessions was kind of about body image. One of the things that I thought was sad was that so many of the women, many of whom you would consider successful and confident, were so hard on themselves when it came to their bodies.

Why is it that we constantly advise others that no body is perfect, but can't accept the same for ourselves?

I attended this same conference and I think it was sad that women (mainly boomers)were so wrapped up in what their bodies looked like.
The point of the session was to get women to give it up and focus on who we are as women, and not to tie our worth into how we look.

I was happy to hear a couple older women be able to say that they had gotten to that point in the past few years.

I would be lying to say that I don't think about how I look, (I've stared at the cellulite cream at CVS more than once trying to decide if it was worth my money!) , but I have found peace in knowing that God loves me in spite of my looks, and wants me to do the same. When we love ourselves for who we are inside, we may care about what we look like, but may not be obsessed with it becaue we know it doesn't come first. Make sense? Any thoughts.

I didn't like myself for most of my life -- pretty, smart, personable -- things I was told I was -- and I didn't like myself at all. So as I got older I went through that time of looking in the mirror and remembering that slim and trim figure I used to have and I'd swear I was going on that diet and exercise program -- and then I'd see a new gray hair popping through and that new wrinkle and I remembered my pretty long blonde hair and smooth pink skin and I started to get depressed about it all --

BUT -- with all the soul searching I've done I think I'm finally to a point where it's not that important to me. I'm starting to like me -- my self worth isn't coming from what others think I should look like. I'm kinda proud of my battle wounds and scars Now I look at a pretty little thing and say to my husband -- I remember those days -- but I like where I am now.

I do need to exercise -- but for my health.
I need to start eating well and drink more water because my body needs it more now than when I was young.

I am all for losing weight and getting healthy -- if you're doing it FOR YOU -- but it's my hope that women will start to realize that we don't all have to fit into a size 3 to be productive happy people.

Find peace within your soul and you might be surprised what looks back at you from that mirror next time

Amen! Good for you! You have discovered the Secret of Happiness!...I think.

I think that one of the blessings of growing older is acceptance of the way we look. It is a freedom to not obsess about body imperfections. I don't know whether this occurred because of a change in priorities in my life, or the realization that I was fighting a losing battle!

If getting older means not thinking so much about having the perfect body then count me in!