self

I am feeling blessed tonight because for the 4th time, I have been asked to speak to a group of middle schoolers about positive body image and self esteem. It makes me proud to know that someone believes that I can speak about these subjects based on my experiences AND believe that I have great sense of self.

I have to admit it is EXTREMELY hard to strive for a level self esteem where you do not let social media, others, and even people close to you affect it in a negative way. It's as if you are constantly carrying around this fragile egg in your hands and every negative comment and mental feedback you give yourself just trips you a little bit. Sometimes you drop the egg, it breaks, you get sad and mad, but the key is to just go ahead and grab another one and try again. There are lots of situations I've been in where I've thought to myself "ugh I hope that person doesn't think I'm dumb after what I just said" or "WHY no matter how much I work out can I not lose weight around my legs?!" ….. It happens all the time.

But, in my situation, instead of sitting in my bed and crying (which sometimes can actually be a good thing to relieve stress and sometimes I do it), I have gotten up and decided to study about how to have a better body image about myself and feel like I am worth something. It takes a lot of researching, reading, and especially practice to get to a level where you feel confident enough to speak to a room full of young students on how you feel about yourself. But you know why I do it?

I talk about having a positive body image and great self esteem because I am a teacher, being taught through God's word and lots of books and articles, on how to motivate others. I've always had a way of talking "real" to people and the best part is, they seem to like it!! It is my job to pinpoint an issue and try to make it better.

You know what the best thing I teach the students are? That we are ALL IMPERFECT. Including myself:

• I sleep with my mouth wide open (not the best look)
• My hair is super frizzy
• I'm horrible at studying, especially finance
• I cry when I hear someone say something negative about me. 
• I am a perfectionist so it annoys me when people mess up my things. 

BUT…… I am God's daughter. He made me this way for a reason. Alongside that list, I've also been blessed with a mind that constantly runs and thinks good thoughts. 

• Just like happiness, you can't sit around and wait for  positive self esteem. Get up! 
• Not everyone can be the popular girl, but everyone can be KIND.
• No matter what, it's my own choice how to feel about a situation. No one makes me feel anything.
• Jesus loves me. That's all that matters. 
• Being "different" is not the same as being "weird."
• I never stop growing. Tomorrow I will know more than I did today.
• Remember that bad comment someone said. Who cares?
• Know that someone is always watching how you react. Are you being a godly person?

need some ideas on how to help your body image/self esteem?

be silly

love one another

be a good role model

discover your hobbies

make sure you find the right partner

(when the time is right for you)

I could go on and on with different pieces of advice, but this post would take up my whole night! I have finance to study, a wedding to plan, a graduation to plan, a job to look for, a book to read…. but at least I had this time to focus on an important topic that we should all be aware of :)