She is 8 years old. She hates her body.
She loves to dance, draw, create, and entertain.
She also hates her body.
She loves to play dress up, make jewelry, redecorate her room, and sleep in sponge-rollers.
She is ashamed of her body.
She loves Barbie dolls, Cabbage Patch Kids, Legos, and sporty Matchbox cars.
She is ridiculed about her body.
She loves gymnastics, ballet, tap, and jazz.
She drops out because she is self-conscious of her body.
She loves to make people laugh and entertain her family and friends.
She silences her voice because she no longer wants to be seen and heard for who she is. It is far too painful. There begins the quest to fit in, to blend, to look, walk, talk, and dress just likeeveryone else. For then, life would be…perfect, right?…. With all this, she forms her perception of the world, herself, and how she will show up (or not) in it.
Fast forward nearly 30 years. The answers are revealed along the way. No, that was not the answer. To be like everyone else does not even quell the illusion of perfection. It feels farrrrrrr from perfect. It is the shovel that digs the hole of an empty, unfulfilled, unexpressed being. Because what appears on the outside is not always how it is on the inside. She feels nothing like anyone else, actually. She is extremely unique, intelligent, creative, and talented beyond words. So, begins the evolution, the journey to being Me…
We all grow up forming some image in our heads of what it means to be beautiful, heavily fed by the media, our culture, our elders, teachers, and peers. Most of us also come up with a self-image that looks something like ‘I’m not enough,’ pretty enough, ‘I’m not that,’ or ‘I just don’t fit that standard of beauty. At some point, we all struggle with feeling like we don’t measure up. But, how many of us ever question the beliefs, the culture, the media, or anyone else at all? I sure as hell never thought to- until now.
I can identify with all women who may be hating their bodies right now- of all ages. I’ve been there. I have been that girl. I’ve walked in those shoes. I did not feel free- in my body, my skin- not free to express myself, my creativity or my voice. No, not free, but more a prisoner in my own body, corralled by my fear of being seen, heard, or even to shine brightly (was that even possible?).
Today, I say with acceptance, truth and confidence, I AM A LUCKY GIRL. I LOVE MYSELF- ALL OF ME. My struggles are all of our struggles. I heal; we all heal. The healing of one bleeds over to those who have not yet healed. We lift each other up.
I am here to say, to show, and to give you permission, as I give to myself, to EXPRESS YOURSELF, YOUR STYLE, YOUR VOICE, YOUR CREATIVE GENIUS WITHIN. LOVE yourself whole to feel free in your body. Practice ruthless self-care to bury inner fear, doubt, and self-loathing 6-ft. under, and to end body hatred forever! Move towards your dreams with confidence and conviction and flirt with yourself in the mirror!
My dream is for all women to celebrate their body and their own unique beauty.
My life’s work is rooted in the belief that true beauty, health, and well-being starts within- what is happening between your ears- that self-image. For my entire adult life I focused my work on helping people lose weight (weight loss was the so-called catalyst to empowerment). I thought that was my mission! I had no idea my soul’s calling ran much deeper within even my own struggles and lessons in life.
~Was this what I searched for all along? My struggles are that thread that tie us all together; they show me I am in fact like the rest. We do all share the same struggles and the same dreams. In the vulnerability and acceptance of my struggles, I finally find myself a part of the crowd. Really. This time, it is not something that I see, but I feel.~
I teach people to love themselves madly, gain bold self-confidence, and feel wildly free to express themselves, so that a healthy weight and body is a way of life, a product of their environment, attitude and lifestyle.
It is my life’s mission to put an end to all women’s body hatred. It is my wish that there are no women walking this planet hating their body. Love it.
Live out loud, Scream it proud. show your stuff. The World needs you exactly as You are.
xo