I discovered this quote from watching a video on SoulPancake's YouTube channel, it's called 'That's What She Said | Beauty and Body Image'. The video shows a panel of women talking about what makes them feel beautiful and their own thoughts and feelings on their own body image. It's really interesting to listen to a group of grown women talk about their own body image issues and reminds us that no matter what age we are, we are all the same.
'Comparison is the thief of joy' is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt. I'm pretty sure that at the time he wasn't referring to women's body image issues, but it doesn't make it any less relevant to the subject. Around this time, when we've all gotten a bit fat from Christmas chocolate, and fitness DVDs are being shoved down our throats by advertisers, it can be easy to get bogged down with worries of image.
The one thing that you need to remember is that we are not all built from the same materials. We all have our own unique DNA that makes us look and act the way we do, even twins. As human beings we have developed this natural instinct to judge, we judge when we meet new people, we judge when friends or family members make decisions we may or may not agree with. The internet and social media are giant big balls of judgement! I frequently go on sites like We Heart It and Tumblr and I am instantly bombarded with images of thigh gaps and washboard abs. We can't escape from airbrushed images of beautiful people who are meant to motivate us to eat well and workout, but all it does is make us down and depressed that we don't look like these fitness gods and goddesses.
With all that happening in front of our eyes, why let it get inside our heads? Comparing ourselves to those images or anybody that isn't you steals your thoughts away from the positives in life. It consumes you and pollutes your mind. Joy can't enter when you have built a wall of shame and guilt for not being what others say you should be. But this stretches to other areas other than body image, comparison to others can be literally anything, lifestyle, personality, finances even material possessions. You are you and that's OK. If you're not as perky and bubbly as the girl that sits in front of you in class, that's OK because you are you and no one else can give to the world what you can.
So let's set a challenge. In the upcoming days, if you find yourself thinking 'I wish my abs looked like that' or 'why can't I have a mansion like Angelina Jolie?' replace those thoughts with the positive things you have. It can be something you like about the way you look or something in your life you are grateful for. Once you let go of the negative you make room for the positive, so let's make room for the joy.
I find this really interesting. I agree with everything you've said, we never compare ourselves to people who are less fortunate! But what I also believe is that if a woman is truly happy and secure about her own life and looks then she won;t think to compare herself in the first place. Those with low self esteem often suffered some kind of rejection early on in life. That's why we need to affirm our children as much as possible and tell them they're loved and beautiful before someone else gets to them!. Thanks for the post.
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