THE CHALLENGE DAY 17 & THE NAKED TRUTH

I recently started attending a weekly speaker series called 'The Naked Truth' and the message focuses on the role of love, sex, and beauty in our daily lives.  The intent is to include both sexes in the conversation, but last week focused specifically on the body image pressure that society and the media place on girls and women of all ages.  Within the first five minutes of the evening I could feel my eyes start to well up with tears as the speaker screened YouTube videos of young girls, ages 10-15, sitting in front of their web camera telling a sad story of how those at school tell them they are ugly and fat -- and then they ask the random universe of YouTube viewers to weigh in on the opinion of their peers.  These 60 second videos filled me with the enormity of true heartbreak.  The sadness only grew heavier when the speaker announced after the viewing that the responses to each post were numerous in count (do we have nothing better to do with our free time?!) and ranged from words of compliments and encouragement to hateful messages that surely drove these young and impressionable girls into a deeper sadness and despair than ever before. 

Coincidently, this particular discussion occurred on the Sunday of the Academy Awards.  A day when all of the women are paraded in dresses and jewels down the red carpet and the 'Fashion Police' weigh in from the moment they step out of the limos.  As I watched the broadcast, I realized that there was no commentary on the inner beauty in each of these women.  The focus was simply on the weight gain or loss, the dress shape, and the impressive ability to wear accessories that came with their own bodyguard.  Don't get me wrong, I love to look at the art form that is fashion and weigh in on it myself -- but shouldn't we start focusing on only the good and leave out the opportunity to tear each other (women) down?  To all of my females out there I have something to tell you:  We are all on the same team!  It's time to teach our children about what truly defines beauty and it is our charge to lead by example.

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
― Audrey Hepburn

The CHALLENGE DAY 17

Physical

I had the pleasure of seeing Denise Austin speak last week and she reminded me that when we feel too busy to fit in a regular workout the simple and most effective solution are good old fashioned push-ups.  Try fitting in 5 (yes 5!) push-ups a day.  It will transform your figure more than you could ever expect.

Spiritual

I have said it before and I will say it again:  "Where the mind goes, energy flows".  As we allow our thoughts to lead the way that we live our lives, it is important for us to be conscious of the criticism and expectations that we place on physical beauty.  Look for the simple beauty that is a part of your inner character and soul.  That beauty is what should shine through each of us -- each and every day.

Personal

We all have 'off' days.  The times when we have 'Nothing to wear' or 'Feel fat' or 'Having a bad hair day'.  Imagine not being in the best of sorts and having someone express a genuine compliment towards you.  It would feel pretty great, right?  Be that person -- and spread the love and confidence.  I challenge you to compliment one person a day on their inner or outer beauty for the next week.