Teens Spreading a Positive Message About Body Image

In a recent discussion about "booty pop" underwear (underwear with padding to make your booty look more round, to POP, so to speak) and teen body image (because apparently teens are large consumers of this product), I was reminded of some very positive body image movements started by teens in recent years. I (Courtney) think it is easy to think most teens hate their bodies, and it's true that the roots of negative body image for the most part start during our teen years. However, teens are also creative and smart, and when they choose to think for themselves, they have the power to create positive change in the world.

Take Operation Beautiful, an idea to put body positive post-it notes around in public places for strangers to see as way to increase self-esteem and brighten their day. This brilliant idea came to its creator, Caitlin, when she was 14 years old. Instead of sitting around spending time picking apart her flaws, she decided to create a positive movement that has changed people's lives. Seriously, how nice would it be to approach a bathroom mirror ready to pick apart your hair do, and then see a note that says, in so many words, that you're AWESOME and your hair looks GREAT! Check out this fantastic project at http://operationbeautiful.com/ and Caitlin's site at http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/.

Then these awesome ladies at Colleyville Heritage High in Texas with their "Redefining Beautiful" club... One day a week, a large group of girls goes to school without make-up, trying to spread the message that they are happy and confident both with and without coverage. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this concept and hope this message spreads. I think is so admirable to choose to redefine beauty and expectations of beauty, especially in high school, which in my memory was basically like an anxiety-ridden fashion show (zits and all). Check out their inspiring story here: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/texas-high-school-girls-start-makeup-club-world/story?id=11832439

These are teens (Caitlin is older now, but her movement started when she was a teen) that are inspiring a country of women who have spent too long burdened by the thin ideal and the expectations of beauty established by a media with extensive airbrushing tools. Let's follow these ladies' awesome example and be PROUD of who we are, inside and out!

Living the Life You Want

Last week we posted about New Year's resolutions - how to keep them measurable, specific, and achievable. Hopefully some of you gained useful tips from that posting. Yet here we are, January 19, and over a third of people who make New Year's resolutions won't even keep them through the end of this month. Perhaps that extra piece of fruit every morning has already deteriorated into an extra cup of coffee instead.

It is my (Courtney) custom to periodically evaluate my life and make sure I am living it the way I want to. Instead of waiting for an arbitrary date or holiday, I think if there are changes to be made in my life, I want to make them now rather than wait. I was reminded of the importance of this practice this past week when a friend's partner was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, totally out of the blue. Their comment was, "You never think it's going to happen to you." All of the sudden, in a single moment, everything seems different when all that we might have taken for granted is threatened. But why? I say, let's go ahead and have the kind of life we want now, today, instead of waiting for tragedy or holidays to make changes.

It is easy to fall into the trap of approaching life from a place of "shoulds" and "ought tos." I want to challenge you to do it differently. Do what makes you happy. Make values-oriented decisions. Be present for your life, and value the people you love and make sure they know it. When you go to bed at night, don't have any regrets about the way you spent your time that day. Measure yourself by who you are instead of what you do.

Who needs resolutions when we choose to embody our lives with our full selves: our values, our dreams, our energies, our love, and our connection to the larger world. I love the Thoreau quote we have hanging in our office: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."

Resolutions....

11 days since the new year, how is your resolution coming along?

Studies show that over 20% of those who make a new year's resolution end up giving it up after the first week, and another 40% by the end of the first month. How can you avoid breaking your resolutions? Here are some tips:
1. Keep your resolution realistic. Is going to the gym every day or writing down every dollar you spend realistic for you?
2. Create steps to reach your new years resolution goal. Usually resolutions tend to be big goals, such as lose 20 pounds, cut back on extra expenses, or read the bible in a year. These big goals tend to be overwhelming. By breaking them into steps, perhaps by day, week or month will help you stay on track. For example, go to the gym 2 days a week for the first 2 weeks, then if you happen to go more often, great! If you just go the 2 days, you have already taken a step to your goal.
3. Talk about it. Reach out to those you trust for support and encouragement as you work on your resolution. Tell them what they can do to help you stay on track.
4. Reevaluate your resolution. Is it really helping you improve your quality of life, or is it actually leading you to emotionally beat yourself up when you fail?