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| a fun tote bag I received for my birthday |
Yes, I am the friend that untags myself in photos that I wasn't prepared for. Yes, I am the one in the group that makes people retake a picture because I don't like how I look. Aaaaand I get joked about it often. I criticize everything about myself in the picture. My hair, my teeth, my weight.
I scroll through the 'likes' on my photos and comments to see 'who has approved'. I mean, really, look at my blog name. I have issues. ;-)
This has taken me a loooooong time to actually admit this to myself.
I'm not saying to not care about how you present yourself. I am all for taking care of your body, your health and your appearance. But not for the approval of others. Do it because you love yourself. *and on that note, ditch the scale, ditch the idolized size in your clothes. As long as you are healthy and happy. THAT should be the main goal.*
I pray I can teach my daughters this. And if I could teach every young girl/teenager something. It would be to love yourself. You will not find self appreciation by someone else loving you. You will look for self appreciation in your friends, in your parents and even in your spouse. It doesn't matter how many times my husband tells me he likes the way I look. If I don't like it, then it doesn't mean anything to me. And truthfully, in the end, the only person it is harming is.... you guessed it.... yourself.
Your family and your true friends love you for who you are. Not by what you wear, or what your weight is. So don't feel like you have to have their approval.
I'm not gonna stop posting pictures... cause I do enjoy staying connected with my friends and family. But I will stop obsessing over what I look like. And I will love myself, flaws and all.
