I’m reading a book. That is how most of my sentences begin, by the way. The author is talking about a speaker that will project non-traditional images of beauty on the screen and ask the audience to say “She is so beautiful”. These images include women who have scars from mastectomies or other surgeries, some are missing limbs, some have deep lines and wrinkles in their face and others show the trauma of childbirth. After each image they repeat “She is so beautiful”.
It brings to mind a guest I had on my podcast recently. She said, “I’m just so amazed by how resilient we are as women”. She talked about how we continually ask more and more from ourselves. More caring, more giving, more nurturing and somehow we do it and we do it beautifully. Don’t take this as encouragement to keep up this unsustainable pace and try and do more and more – but instead take a minute to celebrate how “beautiful” we are, both body and soul as we move through our lives. How much we are able to give and lift and grow those around us. How beautifully we show up in each others lives and hearts.
I often work with women who feel a deep sense of inadequacy. They are coming to me after a betrayal or a loss and they are filled with fear for their future, not only are they trying to financially pick themselves back up but sometimes physically as well. They are just depleted in every way. It sometimes feels overwhelming. What if they could look into a theoretical mirror and see their scars and hurt and pain and very clearly say “She is so beautiful”. Not in spite of what she has come through, but because of it.
I invite each one of you to look carefully at your perceived imperfections – be they physical flaws or emotional. Look at those things you have survived and tell yourself “I am so beautiful”. Look at where you are, what you have done, your resilience and your strength. Look at your scars and your wrinkles and your less than perfect places. Remember what it cost you to get where you are today and remind yourself “You are so beautiful”.
