Seriously! The way we view our own bodies and how we TALK
about our own bodies and the bodies of others has an enormous impact on so many
things!! There are very few people out there who have a positive body image,
right? And regardless of whether someone has a positive or negative body image,
others are likely to judge them either way, right?
People judge others if they are too fat, too skinny, too
pretty, too mean, too nice, eating too loud, breathing too much…EVERYTHING!
But what if we made a conscience effort to take the judgment
out of our thoughts, words, actions, and body language? What if we didn’t
repeat every rumor we heard? What if LISTENED to what others were trying to
say, instead of waiting for our turn to rebut, all the while thinking about
everything that is “wrong” with that they are saying?
Lately, I’ve been taking the time to LISTEN, to literally
HEAR the words that are being said to me. Not the person behind the words, not
my position, not anything else but the topic at hand and the words being
spoken. Sounds simple right? It IS. Not only is it SIMPLE, but it’s given me an
entire new perspective! I can think the situation through clearly. I am able to
gain insight into more solutions, and I can then reflect on my OWN
perspectives. Whoa…
So what does this have to do with body image? Well, let me
just tell you! The more and more I have put this into practice, the more
CONFIDENT I have become when talking with others! I know that I am able to offer better
insight, and that people will start to SEEK me out for advice because they know
my response will be clear, thought out, and free of judgment and criticism! In the
past, I have actually been quite reserved (some of my high school and college
girlfriends may disagree with me here…), but it’s true! I actually have had
somewhat of a difficult time sparking conversations with people, introducing
myself, and really putting myself out there. I was the type of person who would
rather talk in front of 100 people, than try to start spark a conversation with
a stranger, or even someone that I just didn’t know very well.
Taking the judgment out of our expressive or “external”
communication, can directly impact our internal dialog when we are taking a
good hard look at ourselves. Whether we are looking at our physical, mental, or
emotional image, our voice has the most influence over how we feel about
ourselves!! Ever hear the old saying, “You are you own worst enemy”? The power
of self-talk, both positive and negative, is overwhelming. You can bring
yourself down so low by self-defeating talk, that you don’t have the ENERGY to
pull yourself out, let alone make healthy, positive changes!!
So, let’s make a conscience effort to CHANGE that talk, both
to ourselves, and towards others. Let’s teach ourselves, friends, family,
daughters, co-workers, and strangers to love themselves, their work, their
bodies, their image…Let’s teach our sons to embrace beauty and differences so
they may never make another women hear the echoes of negativity about their
looks years to come.
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