Positive You Journal- Part 2

Have you ever said "yes" to something, when you really wanted to say "no", just to please the other person? I have heaps of times. Most recently I agreed to go with a friend to see a doco/movie.  One of the last genres I'd choose to spend an evening at home watching let alone pay to see.  I much prefer to watch fantasy or sci-fi or thrillers. Anyway, I said "Yes" and decided to grin and bare it for friendships sake.  The movie was called "Embrace" - a documentary by  Taryn Brumfitt exploring women's perception of their bodies as "not good enough" and how the portrayal of women’s bodies by the media is unrealistic and unattainable. Weh I got there and saw what it was about I realized fate had stepped in and taken me where I needed to be at the moment. Especially since this was the topic I was exploring in my journal and the blog posts I was currently working on.

Anyway about the film....

In 2013, Brumfitt posted photos of herself in an unconventional before and after shoot. The Before photo was of her perfectly fit body building body and the After was a more 'lived' body shape.  The opposite of the usual 12 week body blitz photo shoot. Needless to say the pictures wehn viral on Facebook and led to Taryn travelling the world interviewing big names in media like inspirational speaker Turia Pitt, leading Australian media mogul Mia Freedman and actress and talk show host Ricki Lake.   However, some of the  most emotive interviews came from your everyday average woman who described their bodies as “gross” and “disgusting”. 

The upshot of the film was we should not chase rainbows,meaning unattainable bodies that have been photo shopped beyond recognition. we are not puppets of the media. we need to embrace our bodies and see them as the vehicle through which we live our lives.  the focus should be on health and well being not 'perfection'.  

I am so glad I said "yes' to seeing this film. Thanks Shirley for inviting me to this eye opening film. I have a daughter and I want her to know that she is "perfect' not because of her body but because of her character and her mind. I would encourage you to take a peak at the trailer and look up the Facebook page. 

External beauty is a fleeting thing, but beauty within lasts a lifetime. 

So don't be a Queen Grimhilde spending your time looking in the mirror fretting over your perceived beauty in comparison to others. Embrace your  Body and Love Yourself for all that you are and have the potential to become.

Review Part 1 of  Positive You 

This is the second of 3 posts on this topic and I hope you will join me on a journey of discovery - Positively Positive Me.

Step 2 - Act Like the Positive You Plan

Experiencing enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment are an important part of everyday experience, which makes us feel good about ourselves and our lives. So start treating yourself like you would a friend with respect and affection. 

• The first step to changing the way you treat yourself is to first observe your current life style.  Record in your journal the activities you engage in each day and give it a rating between 0-10  with 0 being no fun and 10 being awesome. After about a week, review your journal entries. How are you spending your time? What gives you the most pleasure? What should you do more or less of?.  
• When doing this activity it is important to remember that we are not talking about the big stuff but the everyday things that you find rewarding  eg cooking a nice meal, doing some gardening,, going to the gym, reading a book,playing with the kids.  
• Once you have a good sense of what you week looks like you can determine what you would like to change.  In your Journal create a list of other activities you would like to try (think fun and rewarding).  Each week choose two or three activities from the list. Plan ahead which activity you will do, when you will do it(date) and record your sense of pleasure and achievement BEFORE and AFTER each activity. This will let you know if the activity has been helpful. 

Remember that it takes a long time for an oyster to make a pearl from a grain of sand - so be like an oyster and start small.  In the beginning, the important thing is not what you do or how much you do, but simply the fact that your are DOING. Action is the first step, not motivation.

Thanks for taking up the challenge and exploring the next step in journaling a way to positivity.