Don't Waste Your Time

Last week I was on my computer looking for a photo that my husband had wanted. As I was looking I noticed a folder of some photos of me and my family that my Mother had given me several years ago. I began to look through the photos. Some I liked, some I did not. As I studied the ones I liked, I was surprised at the amount of photos that I thought I looked nice. I hadn't quite found my style in a lot of them, but thankfully as I have aged I have figured out more and more of what looks nice on me and what really doesn't.

As I looked at the photos that I was pretty happy with, I wondered if I had felt good about myself at the time the photo was taken. I again visited the old idea of liking myself and accepting myself. Too much of my life have put too much thought and attention into what I didn't like about myself. I have spent too much time focusing on the negative instead of the positive. That is another place in which I am choosing to grow in. These days I am trying to focus on the positives although I have times that I slip into the dark side of being negative. I try to focus rather on the fact that my body has been through a lot and it had gotten me through a lot. I had continued to be strong even in the midst of chemo. I had days of low energy but never did it give out on me.

Instead of allowing the negative to steal my joy, I will continue to do my best to appreciate my body and accept it. And to recognize the positives and the improvements. I will probably always have negatives that I could focus on, but I don't want to waste any more time with that. I wasn't to live a life being happy with myself and the improvements that I have made. I will put my e3nergies into taking care of myself and realizing that this is the body that God gave me. And I need to accept it and appreciate it.

So please join me - Don't waste any more time with the negativity- focus on the positive. Appreciate the body God has given you. If there are areas you are not happy about ask Him to guide you in what you can do to change it and if there is no way to change what ever it is. That is the time to ask Him to help you to accept it and to even like it. He is faithful. I know- I had to ask Him to help me like what I saw in the mirror when I was bald- as He did. As my acceptance of my situation would fade as it did ever so often- I would pray again for God to give me acceptance and to like what I saw and He always answered my prayers.

Body Image Issues

(second post of the day - don't miss the other one)

I am a plus sized woman and being so means that some styles just do not look good on me. So in some cases I decided I did not like a certain think and would not wear it- stripes around and capris are two of those things.

But this line of thinking began long ago. Way back to when I was in about the 1st grade. I had some how gotten the idea that sweat shirts were just to hot for me to wear. So or a long time I would not wear them. Then my Mom found a really cute sweat shirt and since we lived in South Dakota at the time and it was cold - I wore it. And I like it. After that I had more of an open mind when it came to sweat shirts.

Then later when I was late teen- early 20's - I had decided that capris were just not flattering for me - so for the longest time I would not wear them. Then one day about 10 years ago, while shopping with my sister, I tried a pair one and liked them and decided to give them a chance. Now when the weather is warm - I will probably be in capris. I do not feel that shorts are modest and so unless shorts come to about my knees - I just don't wear them. So capris are my go to choice when it is warm. So glad I finally gave them a chance.

Well recently I have chanced my mind again. This summer I found a cute summer top that had stripes around- yep- I got it and I liked it. I have since found a short sleeved top and a 3/4 sleeved top- that have stripes around. So now what I do is try to go more by how much I like the top - and if I think it is cute and looks nice on me - I will get it.

So what is this whole post about- when it comes to what you wear - try it- you might like it. And if you don't then you know that you are making an informed decision. Don't let your size totally dictate what you wear or don't wear.

“Even the models we see in magazines wish they could look like their own images.”
~Cheri K. Erdman

 

“One day I had to sit down with myself and decide that I loved myself no matter what my body looked like and what other people thought about my body. I got tired of hating myself.”
~Gabourey Sidibe

 

“Everybody has a part of her body that she doesn’t like, but I’ve stopped complaining about mine because I don’t want to critique nature’s handiwork … My job is simply to allow the light to shine out of the masterpiece.”
~Alfre Woodard

 

“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.”
―  Steve Maraboli