We Have GOT To Stop!

Ladies (And Men!) I have noticed something lately.  This is something that I know I am guilty of doing, but it is something that we all HAVE to stop doing.

FAT. CHUBBY. THICK. BIG. CHUNKY. PUDGY. LARGE.

How many times each day do you call yourself one of these words or something similar?  Or what about one of these?

STUPID. UGLY. DUMB. DITZY. FOOLISH. HIDEOUS. HORRIBLE.

I have really been listening the past couple of weeks and these are all words that I have heard at least one woman call herself out loud.  This makes me so sad.  We call ourselves words that we wouldn't even begin to think about calling someone else.  We insult ourselves so easily.  We don't even think twice about using these retched words to describe our bodies and our minds.

I found this image on Google.  I don't know how to "reference" it,

so please give me grace for not giving credit to whoever originally did it.

I have been running this line from the movie "Mean Girls" through my head all day because it is so true.  When we so easily insult ourselves, we give permission for other people to insult us.  I like to read stories that pop up on Facebook about people that have worked really hard to lose weight or make themselves healthier.  It gives me hope.  What gets me though is that there is always at least one person (commonly referred to as a "troll" in internet land) who feels the need to put down this person who has worked so hard.  When I see those negative posts, I get pretty upset.  Then I often will go back and read the original "success" story and so many times I will find a point in the story that the person refers to herself as "fat" or "chubby" or some other word like that.  By using that type of language to describe herself, she just gives permission to the "troll" to use that type of language.  By showing even just a small amount of extra confidence (and it does take confidence to NOT use those words, have no doubt about it) and choosing NOT to call ourselves these types of negative words, we take back control.  And by taking back that control, it becomes much less acceptable for others to call us these types of negative words.

Do you know what is also cool about NOT describing yourself as "fat" or "stupid" of "ugly"?  If you stop calling yourself that out loud, then your brain will start getting with the program and it MIGHT just stop thinking these things!  The biggest part of my journey has been learning that these words are just unacceptable.  They are unacceptable for me to say to others and even more unacceptable for me to say to myself.  I am more than these words.  You are more than these words.  We have to believe this.  We are worth it.  God made us the way we are.  He loves us.  Our friends and family love us.  Love yourself.  Believe in yourself.  Quit calling yourself names!!

Faith. Courage. Strength. Change.

Blessings!