"Beauty is not fixed. We make the rules, and we can change them." - Sarah Jenks
I consider myself very fortunate to have female friends who inspire, create beauty, and provoke thought. Sarah Jenks, the founder of Live More Weigh Less, is one such superwoman. As I was packing and preparing for my family's upcoming trip to Hawaii, this article came across my feed, and with Sarah's trademark luscious turn-of-phrase, I felt it was a sign. And it's a provocative question: "what if I lived in a world where stretch marks were sexy?"
Damn. What if, right? As Sarah says, in this world, "I would wear a bikini with pride. I wouldn't be embarrassed when my shirt rode up. I wouldn't be so shy changing in the gym locker room. People would stare in awe at my amazing belly art, my tiger stripes, my badge of honor for bringing a life into this world."
Sarah also went one step braver and posted a photo of her gorgeous post-baby belly. What do you see when you look at it? U see incredible strength, courage, perseverance, selflessness - and aren't those fantastically sexy qualities?
This exploration reminds me a lot of A Beautiful Body Project, which I've talked about before. If you haven't seen this incredible photo project, you are missing out. They're some of the most arresting and gorgeous images of women I've ever seen - authentic, untampered with, raw.
In my Happily Ever After: A Self-Love Story course, I challenge women to be their most loving and honoring to themselves and their bodies - to appreciate every step, savor every lively jiggle, appreciate the sensuousness and utility of every sensation. I encourage you to read Sarah's article and accept her challenge to change the way you see and speak to yourself each and every day. It won't happen overnight, but the only way to catalyze change around negative self-perception, is with small, but powerful shifts.
And remember, no matter what, you are beautiful.
xo,
Julie