The Good Stuff: Body Issue

I know I need to be more positive about myself. I spend a lot of time beating myself up, which isn't exactly healthy. Today I am making a list. A list of things that can I go to on the down days and say to myself, "see, it's not so bad." Here's the list of the things I like about my body.

I have good hair. It's thick and generally behaves. It has a  little curl to it and is easy to control. One day I'll let myself go grey, but, for now, I maintain the brunette I've been all of my life. When I was younger, I viewed my hair as a chore; I wasn't interested in the feathered haircuts that were so popular when I was in high school. Now I know that I can just let my hair dry and it'll be fine. I would say that I would have saved a lot of time in high school if I knew that, but I really didn't put too much work into it, even then.

I have good skin. When I was a teen, it remained mostly clear and, as a lady of a certain age, it's relatively wrinkle-free. I worry about my neck, but even that it's too bad. I know a big part of it is genetics: I do very little to maintain my skin. I've only recently started moisturizing my face and only I do this when I remember. I do take care of my hands, mostly because my nana warned me that they showed a woman's age.

I have grown to like my smile. This was not always true. I had very crooked teeth as a kid and I felt my lips were oddly shaped. (Why does a kid even think about the shape of their lips? I have no idea, but I felt my bottom lip was too big and my top lip too thin. I was a weirdo.) But HWM loves my smile, which makes me love it more.

I am muscular and strong. This is also something I had to learn to like about myself. I am not a naturally skinny girl, and I will always be a certain size. I am trying to accept my body. I like the definition in my legs. I like that I can go for long walks. I am not a delicate flower but I have no time for that. I'd rather get things done. I need to celebrate my strength.

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