That outrageousness is the exact reason why I share my journey to self-love – so that others can get there sooner than I did. And even if they’re past 30, that they get there sooner rather than later.
The journey to loving my body, started on the inside. I had to embrace the woman that I was, work through some major healing, re-record that tape in my head that told me that I was ugly, fat, lazy, no good, selfish, too much, had too much personality…too much everything really and yet still not enough.
This is the reason that I am officially launching my hashtag #LoveBodyJourney. You can use this hashtag as you post your journey to self love on Instagram and I will be re-posting your pictures! Let me see those pics of you ‘feelin yourself’ as Beyonce would say and share your message with other. Will you join me on the journey to learning to love you, and love your body?! This has been something I’ve been thinking about this for a few months after some chats with a couple mentors, but was recently inspired by a friend who posted a picture of herself on Instagram in a bikini after telling me I inspired her to wear one because I wore one and shared it.
So let’s talk about actually loving yourself, your body and how you can actually get there….let me give you some of my thoughts and ideas based on what I did and continue to do.
When I hear women tell me that they have decided to step outside their box and wear something like a bikini, it makes sharing my life and being so transparent worth all the vulnerability that goes into sharing my life as an open book. If I’m being 100% honest with you, I usually receive messages from women on the days that I question why I share, why I do what I do and usually end up shedding a few happy tears when I receive messages like this because it’s confirmation that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and it helps me to keep going.
- If there are areas of your heart that are hurting, I would focus on healing those. For me, I started this post separation from my ex-husband and then as we divorced. My heart was broken and I needed to focus on healing. During that process I started to see light at the end of the tunnel, hope if you will. This was a very foundational portion to loving me. If you have suffered from an abusive relationship like I did, you not only have to battle the voices you have in your own head that tear you down, but voices and words from your abuser. That needs to be healed.
- Start Re-Recording that tape in your head that tells you horrible, untruthful things about yourself and ripping off those negative labels people have put on you. For me, I wrote out the things I actually did like about myself…yup that was hard to do and I had to ask some close family and friends for help with my list – do what you have to do to get that list put together
- Once you have this list – put it in places you will see every day. For me, that meant on my mirror, on my nightstand, and I made a digital version and it was my desktop on my computer. And then….I started reading those words out loud every day and started each word with I am. So, I told myself things like:
I am COURAGEOUS
I am BOLD
I am BEAUTIFUL
AND SO ON…..
She told me that as she unpacking that morning (she had just moved into a new place), she had found a journal from when she was in college (we are talking from like probably 8-10 years ago) and the journal entry she found was a prayer for me…that I would one day learn to love me. So there we stood together just crying even more because of what had just happened.
Talk about a beautiful moment, one I will never forget. And don’t I have great friends who have prayers like that for me, that they truly want the best for me? They saw something in me that I never saw and they prayed that I would one day see it. Who knew it would be a gift that I could give others?!
So, there you have it….this was part of my journey to loving me and just some of the practical tips and ways I have journeyed through learning to love me (who I am as a woman) and my body.
My goal in life is to continue to help women (and men) to see how valuable, beautiful and worthy they are. When you see that, you are able to live your best life, make better choices for your life and life in peace & harmony with yourself and those around you. If I hadn’t have learned all of this, there is no way I would have been able to do the things I have when it comes to modeling, speaking in schools, blogging my journey and sharing my life with you all. But, because of that journey, I share. So that one day, you too might love you and share that gift with someone else! Self-love truly is the gift that keeps on giving!
Check out some more pics from my recent shoot with the talented Robert Skuja Photography. We shot these after shooting a video for my audition for SLINK Jeans’s Model Search.
Help me spread my body positive message by using my new hashtag #LoveBodyJourney and by voting for me – click HERE to vote! The winner of this content will win a 1 year modeling contract with True Model Management and a cash prize from SLINK Jeans – a company that promotes self love! Stay tuned for more details later this week on this submission.
Stay Beautiful,
All photos © 2015 Robert Skuja Photography
Eye Lashes (extensions) by Love Ur Look Beauty my official eyelash specialist
Styling, Makeup & Hair by – ME!
You are such a beautiful woman inside and out. I love reading your blog as it jnspires me to believe in myself and love me for being me.