Lizzo Said it Best; “Thick Thighs Save Lives” | New York Boudoir Photographer

Lizzo Said it Best; “Thick Thighs Save Lives” | New York Boudoir Photographer

Have you ever watched a movie from the ’80s or ’90s, and they said something that totally made you cringe? Things like “You are so skinny, I hate you!” and “She looks like she needs a cookie.” Back then, being called out for being skinny was seen as something that was a positive. Now, we know better. Skinny shaming is just as hurtful to women as fat-shaming.

Body positivity is a long and hard lesson for many women. We are so hard on ourselves!  The things that we think about ourselves, we wouldn’t dare let someone say about our best friend. Yet, when we look in the mirror, all we focus on are our flaws. I’m here to say it, this does not serve us as women, and it doesn’t serve us as humans.

It takes some time to work through this, but I think the first thing you have to do is retrain your brain. Every time an unkind thought about yourself or others comes into your head, recognize it. Don’t beat yourself up about it, though! Instead, stop yourself and ask yourself how you could reframe that thought.

From “I hate the scar from my cesarean section, it’s so ugly” to “I gave birth to an amazing human though this scar.

From “I hate my fat thighs” to “my legs are powerful and carry me wherever I want to go. Some people don’t have that ability”.

If you see a woman in the car pickup line and you judge her for looking unkempt, stop yourself and reframe. Maybe you take a minute to remember how hard it is to be a parent of young kids after a hard night, and you send her some good vibes in solidarity. Or even better, maybe you smile and say a kind word to her. 

If it sounds like crazy woo-woo stuff to you, I challenge you today to pay attention to unkind (and untrue) thoughts that come through your brain in the next week. If you continue this practice, you’ll find it will extend to so many other parts of your life as well! Positivity breeds positivity.

As we move into the rest of 2020, let’s all vow to work harder for the next generation of women. Let’s all work together to raise girls that are empowered by their brains, their hearts, and their compassion rather than their looks. Can you imagine how powerful that would be?