The Beautiful Women Project is about the strength and beauty of women - one does not exist with the other.
This past week, one of our own was diagnosed with breast cancer. As she has throughout her life, she is facing this challenge with grace, courage, and beauty. I won't lie to any of you, she is frightened and confused, she has no idea what lies ahead, but she is facing this challenge with her head held high and her feet firmly planted in the ground. She is ready to fight. Nancy is drawing on the strength of her family, her friends, and those in her community that love her for who she is and the way in which she has touched their lives.
This amazing woman often thanks me for how The Beautiful Women Project has changed the way she sees herself as a woman, improved her relationships with her children and siblings, and opened her eyes to all of the good in her life. I see her quite often and have watched the transformation - she has embraced her beauty and continues to touch those in her life and community. She is more beautiful today than she was the day I met her and asked her to be a part of The Beautiful Women Project.
From this point forward, in her honor, any book purchased directly from the Beautiful Women Project web site will be donated to breast cancer organizations fighting the beautiful fight for women. Thank you for your support. Most importantly, I thank you for your thoughts and prayers for our Beautiful Woman.
Showing posts with label baby boomers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby boomers. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Threads of Beauty
For the past two summers I have been fortunate to have The Beautiful Women Project spend the summers at Wiawaka Holiday Retreat House for Women. It is a beautiful place in Lake George, NY and it is exactly what its name claims to be...a holiday retreat for women.
This year I led two workshops one entitled The Dynamics and Importance of Female Friendships and another on The Threads of Beauty. I created this workshop discussion specifically for a group of women who came to Wiawaka to spend their time together quilting. Not a quilter myself, I spent a great deal of time researching and learning about the art of quilting. Simply stated by the Columbia Encyclopedia, "Quilting is a form of needlework, almost always created by women, most of them anonymous, in which two layers of fabric on either side of in interlining are sewn together, usually with a pattern of back running (quilting) stitches that hold the layers together."
Quilting, a form of storytelling, is a six step process...Six steps that parallel the stories of the telling of an individual's life story.
1. Selecting a Pattern, fabrics, and batting...Who do I want to be? What is my story?
2. Measuring and cutting fabrics the correct size to make blocks from the patterns...An individual's life experiences are the building blocks of their life. We each have our own size and know what is best fit for our life.
3. Piecing blocks together to make a finished "top"...Meeting life's experiences and seeing opportunity in the good as well as the challenges.
4. Layering the quilt top with batting and bcking to make a "quilt sandwich"
5. Quilting by hand or machine through all of the layers of the quilt sandwich...Carrying your experiences so they shine through you for those around you to encounter and bask in your light.
6. Squaring up and trimming excess batting from the edges, sewing and stitching the binding to the quilt backing...Packing and repacking your luggage along your journey. What may have been important or worked in your life in the past may no longer serve you in your present moment.
What are the layers that hold your life together?
This year I led two workshops one entitled The Dynamics and Importance of Female Friendships and another on The Threads of Beauty. I created this workshop discussion specifically for a group of women who came to Wiawaka to spend their time together quilting. Not a quilter myself, I spent a great deal of time researching and learning about the art of quilting. Simply stated by the Columbia Encyclopedia, "Quilting is a form of needlework, almost always created by women, most of them anonymous, in which two layers of fabric on either side of in interlining are sewn together, usually with a pattern of back running (quilting) stitches that hold the layers together."
Quilting, a form of storytelling, is a six step process...Six steps that parallel the stories of the telling of an individual's life story.
1. Selecting a Pattern, fabrics, and batting...Who do I want to be? What is my story?
2. Measuring and cutting fabrics the correct size to make blocks from the patterns...An individual's life experiences are the building blocks of their life. We each have our own size and know what is best fit for our life.
3. Piecing blocks together to make a finished "top"...Meeting life's experiences and seeing opportunity in the good as well as the challenges.
4. Layering the quilt top with batting and bcking to make a "quilt sandwich"
5. Quilting by hand or machine through all of the layers of the quilt sandwich...Carrying your experiences so they shine through you for those around you to encounter and bask in your light.
6. Squaring up and trimming excess batting from the edges, sewing and stitching the binding to the quilt backing...Packing and repacking your luggage along your journey. What may have been important or worked in your life in the past may no longer serve you in your present moment.
What are the layers that hold your life together?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
What We Have to Show for Our Lives
My cousin called me today in distress. Always a strong and independent woman, she is a mother of three young children, a successful business woman, and a wife of fourteen years. Her marriage is in dire straits, and it is her belief that she will soon be a forty five year old single mother. A child of divorce herself, this is not what she wanted for her life or the lives of her children. Quietly she asked, "For all that I have invested in my life and marriage, what do I have to show for my life ?" Knowing my cousin's nature, she wasn't looking for sympathy, but brutal honesty.
My cousin grew up in a tiny little town on top of a mountain. A tomboy, she found her life's passion in downhill skiing and was chosen to attend a private high school that would take her off her mountain and into a strange and exciting world. A college awarded her a full skiing scholarship and with further development she qualified as an alternate on the US Olympic Ski Team. At any point in her lifetime she could have returned home to work in her family's established business, a business that would have provided her with a very comfortable life. Instead, she chose to strike out on her own. With time, she established not one, not two, but three successful businesses. She always recognized the responsibility she had for the lives of her employees and their families, and when times were tough she would take on additional jobs as a waitress, ski instructor and coach, or respiratory therapist in a local hospital, in order to keep things afloat. Always a mother to her children and wife to her husband, it was her that made sure that they bills were paid, the laundry was completed and the groceries were in the refrigerator and cupboards. The importance of love, family, and friendship - lessons learned on top of her chilhood mountain home, are now passed onto her children. When her father was terminally ill, she was his primary care giver, with him until he took his final breath. Over the years she has created a network of friends that are there for her in times of celebration and support her in her darkest hours, often when family was too far away. There are children that she instructed on the ski slopes that are on race teams across the country or just enjoying the winters with their families year in and year out because of her instruction. There are little babies that have grown into thriving teenagers because she was there for them in the neo-natal unit helping them breath when their little lungs needed assistance. There are three amazing children thriving in the world because of their mother. I believe that she found it hard to believe that she thought for even a moment that she had nothing to show for her life.
Often when posed with the question, "What do I have to show for my life?" we are looking for material, tangible pieces of evidence. The truth be told, the measure of a life isn't how much money has accumulated in a bank account, the number or kind of cars in a garage, the waist or dress size you have hanging in the closet - or the size of your closet for that matter. The answers to the question are quiet similar to the definition of beauty: It is the sum of your life experiences. The answer lies in your life's journey.
We all have things in our lives demonstrate our life's value. Even during the most challenging times, there are amazing things. Find a moment in the next week to recognize all of the wonderful things that you have to show for your lifetime.
My cousin grew up in a tiny little town on top of a mountain. A tomboy, she found her life's passion in downhill skiing and was chosen to attend a private high school that would take her off her mountain and into a strange and exciting world. A college awarded her a full skiing scholarship and with further development she qualified as an alternate on the US Olympic Ski Team. At any point in her lifetime she could have returned home to work in her family's established business, a business that would have provided her with a very comfortable life. Instead, she chose to strike out on her own. With time, she established not one, not two, but three successful businesses. She always recognized the responsibility she had for the lives of her employees and their families, and when times were tough she would take on additional jobs as a waitress, ski instructor and coach, or respiratory therapist in a local hospital, in order to keep things afloat. Always a mother to her children and wife to her husband, it was her that made sure that they bills were paid, the laundry was completed and the groceries were in the refrigerator and cupboards. The importance of love, family, and friendship - lessons learned on top of her chilhood mountain home, are now passed onto her children. When her father was terminally ill, she was his primary care giver, with him until he took his final breath. Over the years she has created a network of friends that are there for her in times of celebration and support her in her darkest hours, often when family was too far away. There are children that she instructed on the ski slopes that are on race teams across the country or just enjoying the winters with their families year in and year out because of her instruction. There are little babies that have grown into thriving teenagers because she was there for them in the neo-natal unit helping them breath when their little lungs needed assistance. There are three amazing children thriving in the world because of their mother. I believe that she found it hard to believe that she thought for even a moment that she had nothing to show for her life.
Often when posed with the question, "What do I have to show for my life?" we are looking for material, tangible pieces of evidence. The truth be told, the measure of a life isn't how much money has accumulated in a bank account, the number or kind of cars in a garage, the waist or dress size you have hanging in the closet - or the size of your closet for that matter. The answers to the question are quiet similar to the definition of beauty: It is the sum of your life experiences. The answer lies in your life's journey.
We all have things in our lives demonstrate our life's value. Even during the most challenging times, there are amazing things. Find a moment in the next week to recognize all of the wonderful things that you have to show for your lifetime.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Beauty All Around Me
I have returned to the place The Beautiful Women Project began and I am happy to report that there is so much beauty around me.
In the past week, I have observed women of all ages, shapes, sizes, and cultures embracing their lives. Because they are so unencumbered by their physical bodies there is a great deal of laughter, playing, conversation, sharing, exploring, learning, and celebrating.
Women are eating delicious and nourishing foods. Women are swimming in the sea and in the pools with their families. Women are dancing to the music playing in the parks into the night. Women are reading and sharing ideas on the world and life. All of this is going on amongst women who are family, friends, strangers meeting for the first time, and across generations. It is a very supportive environment.
There is a lot to be learned from the lives of these women. My greatest wish is that I could bottle all of this up and bring this home to America. I can't do this, but I can continue to dedicate myself and The Beautiful Women Project to shaping a healthier frame of mind for and about beautiful women.
In the past week, I have observed women of all ages, shapes, sizes, and cultures embracing their lives. Because they are so unencumbered by their physical bodies there is a great deal of laughter, playing, conversation, sharing, exploring, learning, and celebrating.
Women are eating delicious and nourishing foods. Women are swimming in the sea and in the pools with their families. Women are dancing to the music playing in the parks into the night. Women are reading and sharing ideas on the world and life. All of this is going on amongst women who are family, friends, strangers meeting for the first time, and across generations. It is a very supportive environment.
There is a lot to be learned from the lives of these women. My greatest wish is that I could bottle all of this up and bring this home to America. I can't do this, but I can continue to dedicate myself and The Beautiful Women Project to shaping a healthier frame of mind for and about beautiful women.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A New Formula for Beauty: Life+Experience=Beauty
Advertising is tricky business. The goal of advertising is to make consumers feel like they are getting something special - something that only a select few can achieve. The irony of it all is that, like body perfection, advertising is in itself an illusion. Advertisers want consumers to feel like they are attaining something special whether it be beauty, body perfection, both and more - when all along they are mass marketing products to you and millions of other consumers promising everyone the same thing.
It is easy to fall prey to advertising's enticements, in today's fast paced world who doesn't want to get from point A to point B in ten seconds or less? But how likely is it that true beauty is so simple that it can be found in a bottle of expensive moisturizer, or within a tube of whitening toothpaste, or in a syringe at your dermatologist's office? These products claim to have special formulas that have been clinically proven to make you beautiful. Funny how all of them require you to pay to find something that you already possess.
Beauty is something that we we are born with, and it stays with us throughout our lives. Beauty doesn't care about our age, our weight, our social or economic status, and especially not the brand of moisturizer we choose from the shelves. Unfortunately, somewhere along our journey many of us lose sight of our own beauty and advertisers are just sitting and waiting to present us with their formulas for their definition of beauty, their illusion of what it means to be beautiful. There is only one formula that will lead you, or help you to return to your own beauty, and it won't cost you a penny to get there: Life + Experience=Beauty.
Life - it is what we all do from the moment we open our eyes to the moment we fall asleep. Embracing what comes before us, the people that cross our paths, the opportunities that we are presented (positive and negative) each and every moment of each and everyday.
Experience - often the defining moments of our lives. These moments do not have to be earth shattering in nature, but ulitmately lead us toward being the type of women that we are proud to present to the world.
Beauty - the sum of your life experiences. There is no amount of money that can buy you this.
It is easy to fall prey to advertising's enticements, in today's fast paced world who doesn't want to get from point A to point B in ten seconds or less? But how likely is it that true beauty is so simple that it can be found in a bottle of expensive moisturizer, or within a tube of whitening toothpaste, or in a syringe at your dermatologist's office? These products claim to have special formulas that have been clinically proven to make you beautiful. Funny how all of them require you to pay to find something that you already possess.
Beauty is something that we we are born with, and it stays with us throughout our lives. Beauty doesn't care about our age, our weight, our social or economic status, and especially not the brand of moisturizer we choose from the shelves. Unfortunately, somewhere along our journey many of us lose sight of our own beauty and advertisers are just sitting and waiting to present us with their formulas for their definition of beauty, their illusion of what it means to be beautiful. There is only one formula that will lead you, or help you to return to your own beauty, and it won't cost you a penny to get there: Life + Experience=Beauty.
Life - it is what we all do from the moment we open our eyes to the moment we fall asleep. Embracing what comes before us, the people that cross our paths, the opportunities that we are presented (positive and negative) each and every moment of each and everyday.
Experience - often the defining moments of our lives. These moments do not have to be earth shattering in nature, but ulitmately lead us toward being the type of women that we are proud to present to the world.
Beauty - the sum of your life experiences. There is no amount of money that can buy you this.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Beautiful Women...Meet The Genuine Men
This weekend The Beautiful Women Project launched its "brother" project, The Genuine Men Project (www.thegenuinemen.com). These travelling exhibitions have identical messages: we need to begin defining individuals by the sum of their life experiences.
The Genuine Men Project focuses on the life experiences of thirty five men - ordinary fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and neighbors that we encounter everyday. As the women of Beautiful Women... Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills attempts to redefine society's view of women and beauty, the men portrayed in Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills redefine what it is to be a role model by showing that what makes us strong is the way we approach, deal with, and then carry our challenges and life experiences. Their stories represent the type of men that others will want to emulate in their own life long journeys.
I began this project at the urging of my oldest son. As I completed The Beautiful Women Project, he marched in my office and declared, "You know mom, it isn't fair that you do girls and you don't do boys." He was absolutely correct. There is a great deal that we can all learn from the stories of men. I encourage you to take a moment to visit The Genuine Men Project web site and take another step and read the stories of these amazing men in the project's companion book, Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills (Bridgeway Books, 2008).
The Genuine Men Project focuses on the life experiences of thirty five men - ordinary fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and neighbors that we encounter everyday. As the women of Beautiful Women... Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills attempts to redefine society's view of women and beauty, the men portrayed in Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills redefine what it is to be a role model by showing that what makes us strong is the way we approach, deal with, and then carry our challenges and life experiences. Their stories represent the type of men that others will want to emulate in their own life long journeys.
I began this project at the urging of my oldest son. As I completed The Beautiful Women Project, he marched in my office and declared, "You know mom, it isn't fair that you do girls and you don't do boys." He was absolutely correct. There is a great deal that we can all learn from the stories of men. I encourage you to take a moment to visit The Genuine Men Project web site and take another step and read the stories of these amazing men in the project's companion book, Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills (Bridgeway Books, 2008).
Sunday, May 4, 2008
How Do I Find the Beauty Within Myself?
I was shopping for shoes yesterday, when I woman commented to me, "I always wanted to be able to wear high heels. I am already six feet and they just didn't work for me." My immediate reply was, "I always wanted to be tall like you, that is why I am buying shoes with such high heels!" It just goes to show that it is hard to accept our own beauty and to look at our unique qualities as just that, qualities. Beauty is not something that we have to chase after, it is already of part of who we are as individuals. So how do we find, accept, and share with the world the beauty that lies within all of us?
The first step is to just look in the mirror and smile back at the reflection staring back at us. Self acceptance is the first, and sometimes hardest part of finding our own beauty. It is something that I work on everyday. Yes, we have our good days and not so good days: great hair, but puffy eyes; great skin, but our rear ends don't look so good in those pants. The combinations of good/bad are endless, and the odds of good/good/good occurring in our own eyes is very small. By changing the way that you view yourself will help you change the way that you think of yourself. Make it simple: when you look in the mirror, instead of putting yourself physical self under a magnification lamp, ask yourself these kind of close-up questions: Do I like the individual looking back from the mirror? Do I respect the woman in front of me? Can I be proud of the way this person conducts their life? If you answer yes to any of your own questions, you are looking at a beautiful woman.
If you are unable to answer any of those questions in a positive manner, take a moment and reflect on what you can do in your own life so you will like, respect, and be proud of yourself. Empower yourself, be an agent for positive change in your life.
Accepting our beauty is as simple as recognizing that physical beauty is only a part of who you are as a beautiful woman, it is not all of who you are as a beautiful woman. I am not six foot tall, but that doesn't mean that I am not beautiful at five foot tall. Another way of accepting our own beauty is to say thank you to compliments that you receive, whether it is about your appearance or an accomplishment. Feeling good about ourselves, accepting our selves, at any given moment of any given day, is an imporant key to accepting the beauty that lies within.
And sharing, how do we share the beauty that lies within? Allowing our experiences to shine through us for the world to experience. Smile. Laugh. Cry. Tell a colleague that they look nice. Tell a friend that you were touched by them. Hug someone. Do not hide from the world, share yourself with all of those around you.
Uncovering, accepting, and sharing your light, love, passion...yourself is the most wonderful experience. When it happens, you will ulimately uncover, discover, and recover the beauty that has always been a part of you.
The first step is to just look in the mirror and smile back at the reflection staring back at us. Self acceptance is the first, and sometimes hardest part of finding our own beauty. It is something that I work on everyday. Yes, we have our good days and not so good days: great hair, but puffy eyes; great skin, but our rear ends don't look so good in those pants. The combinations of good/bad are endless, and the odds of good/good/good occurring in our own eyes is very small. By changing the way that you view yourself will help you change the way that you think of yourself. Make it simple: when you look in the mirror, instead of putting yourself physical self under a magnification lamp, ask yourself these kind of close-up questions: Do I like the individual looking back from the mirror? Do I respect the woman in front of me? Can I be proud of the way this person conducts their life? If you answer yes to any of your own questions, you are looking at a beautiful woman.
If you are unable to answer any of those questions in a positive manner, take a moment and reflect on what you can do in your own life so you will like, respect, and be proud of yourself. Empower yourself, be an agent for positive change in your life.
Accepting our beauty is as simple as recognizing that physical beauty is only a part of who you are as a beautiful woman, it is not all of who you are as a beautiful woman. I am not six foot tall, but that doesn't mean that I am not beautiful at five foot tall. Another way of accepting our own beauty is to say thank you to compliments that you receive, whether it is about your appearance or an accomplishment. Feeling good about ourselves, accepting our selves, at any given moment of any given day, is an imporant key to accepting the beauty that lies within.
And sharing, how do we share the beauty that lies within? Allowing our experiences to shine through us for the world to experience. Smile. Laugh. Cry. Tell a colleague that they look nice. Tell a friend that you were touched by them. Hug someone. Do not hide from the world, share yourself with all of those around you.
Uncovering, accepting, and sharing your light, love, passion...yourself is the most wonderful experience. When it happens, you will ulimately uncover, discover, and recover the beauty that has always been a part of you.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Redefining Beauty
My goal in creating The Beautiful Women Project was to foster a very public discussion of the definition of beauty. It has been stated time and time again in this blog, The Beautiful Women Project definition of beauty is simple, yet powerful: it is the sum of a woman's life experiences that make her beautiful.
Everyday I read articles in print and online about body image, clothing, workplace issues, gender in government, young women and eating disorders, mother's trying to help their daughters, women trying to find their place in the world...each subject touches upon the same issue: no one is buying into society's current definition and vision of beauty. So if we are not buying into it, what are we doing about changing it?
For our part, The Beautiful Women Project continues to travel to communities throughout the country raising awareness that beauty comes in many different shapes and forms. These women are role models for us all reminding us that beauty surrounds us every single day. From the very beginning I believed that through the images and stories in Beautiful Women if just one person could view an image and/or read at least one story and no longer feel alone, weird, or isolated in their own life experiences...if I just touched someone in a way that they giggled, shed a tear of joy or sadness...thought of a sister, mother, aunt, or friend...if someone just looked at another a little differently after experiencing Beautiful Women...I had had done something about changing society's definition of beauty. I am so proud to say that I know that has happend at our exhibitions. This is why we work so hard to bring the exhibition to communities. This is why we published Beautiful Women...Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills so we can touch those that cannot view the exhibtion in person. That is why we began this blog, to foster discussion amongst like minded people, and those that come from a different perspective in order to initiate a new kind of communication. That is how change takes place - opening up and sharing thoughts and perspectives in a respectful space.
Please help us continue our mission by contacting The Beautiful Women Project so we can bring the exhibition to your community. Speak up on the blog - share your thoughts with us and others about redefining beauty. It takes just one spark to light a fire - your thought, idea, or vision just may be the one that spreads like wildfire. Share It.
Everyday I read articles in print and online about body image, clothing, workplace issues, gender in government, young women and eating disorders, mother's trying to help their daughters, women trying to find their place in the world...each subject touches upon the same issue: no one is buying into society's current definition and vision of beauty. So if we are not buying into it, what are we doing about changing it?
For our part, The Beautiful Women Project continues to travel to communities throughout the country raising awareness that beauty comes in many different shapes and forms. These women are role models for us all reminding us that beauty surrounds us every single day. From the very beginning I believed that through the images and stories in Beautiful Women if just one person could view an image and/or read at least one story and no longer feel alone, weird, or isolated in their own life experiences...if I just touched someone in a way that they giggled, shed a tear of joy or sadness...thought of a sister, mother, aunt, or friend...if someone just looked at another a little differently after experiencing Beautiful Women...I had had done something about changing society's definition of beauty. I am so proud to say that I know that has happend at our exhibitions. This is why we work so hard to bring the exhibition to communities. This is why we published Beautiful Women...Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills so we can touch those that cannot view the exhibtion in person. That is why we began this blog, to foster discussion amongst like minded people, and those that come from a different perspective in order to initiate a new kind of communication. That is how change takes place - opening up and sharing thoughts and perspectives in a respectful space.
Please help us continue our mission by contacting The Beautiful Women Project so we can bring the exhibition to your community. Speak up on the blog - share your thoughts with us and others about redefining beauty. It takes just one spark to light a fire - your thought, idea, or vision just may be the one that spreads like wildfire. Share It.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Help! It's Bathing Suit Season
I love spring. For those of us who live in a cold weather climate, it is the time of year where everything comes back alive again. The grass goes from snow-covered, to brown, to green. The trees go from barren, to budded, to full bloom. The temperature rises, the birds sing, and we get to play outside until dinner time. It is wonderful.
Yet, with spring comes the anxiety of putting on your bathing suit for the first time since shedding our layers upon layers of clothing. Not only are we pasty white, our bodies our just coming out of their winter hibernation. So how do we go to the beach on still feel beautiful in our bodies? Here are a few easy tips:
1. Be confident in who you are, even if you are not completely confident in how you look. We all have "off" days, even women who others would look at and wonder, "what does she have to worry about in a bathing suit?" Beauty shines through, remember who you are and all of your accomplishments, that is what makes a person truly beautiful.
2. The first time you put on that bathing suit, surround yourself with the people that already like you for who you are not what you look like. Remember, it may also be there first time this season in a bathing suit as well.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. You are unique and that is what makes you beautiful.
4. Participate in activities that you enjoy. Whether you are poolside or at the beach catch up with your friends, listen to good music, enjoy the scenery, build sandcastles, play volleyball, ride the surf, or lose yourself in a good book or read all of those magazines that have piled up next to your bed.
5. Whether it is a full piece, bikini, or shorts and a t-shirt – put on whatever allows you to have fun without being self conscious.
It goes without saying - Protect yourself from the sun with appropriate sunsreen, drink lots of water, and enjoy these great months with your family and friends!
Yet, with spring comes the anxiety of putting on your bathing suit for the first time since shedding our layers upon layers of clothing. Not only are we pasty white, our bodies our just coming out of their winter hibernation. So how do we go to the beach on still feel beautiful in our bodies? Here are a few easy tips:
1. Be confident in who you are, even if you are not completely confident in how you look. We all have "off" days, even women who others would look at and wonder, "what does she have to worry about in a bathing suit?" Beauty shines through, remember who you are and all of your accomplishments, that is what makes a person truly beautiful.
2. The first time you put on that bathing suit, surround yourself with the people that already like you for who you are not what you look like. Remember, it may also be there first time this season in a bathing suit as well.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. You are unique and that is what makes you beautiful.
4. Participate in activities that you enjoy. Whether you are poolside or at the beach catch up with your friends, listen to good music, enjoy the scenery, build sandcastles, play volleyball, ride the surf, or lose yourself in a good book or read all of those magazines that have piled up next to your bed.
5. Whether it is a full piece, bikini, or shorts and a t-shirt – put on whatever allows you to have fun without being self conscious.
It goes without saying - Protect yourself from the sun with appropriate sunsreen, drink lots of water, and enjoy these great months with your family and friends!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Spring Into Your Beauty
Spring has arrived, and it is a great time of year for defining - and redefining - who we are as women. The Beautiful Women Project is dedicated to challenging the traditional definition of beauty and asking everyone to take a moment and ask themselves, "what is my personal definition of beauty?" Our definition is simple, yet powerful: Beauty is the sum of a woman's life experiences.
The freckles on the cheeks that appear in the summer are reflections of days spent outside having lunch with friends, walking your dog, playing with your children. The lines around your mouth are from laughing at bad jokes, smiling for countless pictures, a constant movement you do with your mouth when you are nervous. The curves that you own, that may have not been there when you were a young girl, are testament to your development and metamorphosis as a woman. And the glow that comes forth from you when you enter a room...that is your true beauty, those are your experiences shining through you for the world to see.
So with spring upon us, take a moment and define - or redefine - your beauty. Think about who you are and what makes you most proud of the woman that you are today. Ask yourself what do I want to do next with my life? Where do I want to be next week, next month, next spring? The experiences that you have along the way to accomplishing the goals that you set for yourself, these are your beauty defining moments. Some will be wonderful, some will be difficult and trying. Just remember that these experiences are your true beauty.
The freckles on the cheeks that appear in the summer are reflections of days spent outside having lunch with friends, walking your dog, playing with your children. The lines around your mouth are from laughing at bad jokes, smiling for countless pictures, a constant movement you do with your mouth when you are nervous. The curves that you own, that may have not been there when you were a young girl, are testament to your development and metamorphosis as a woman. And the glow that comes forth from you when you enter a room...that is your true beauty, those are your experiences shining through you for the world to see.
So with spring upon us, take a moment and define - or redefine - your beauty. Think about who you are and what makes you most proud of the woman that you are today. Ask yourself what do I want to do next with my life? Where do I want to be next week, next month, next spring? The experiences that you have along the way to accomplishing the goals that you set for yourself, these are your beauty defining moments. Some will be wonderful, some will be difficult and trying. Just remember that these experiences are your true beauty.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Back from A Beauty Break
The Beautiful Women Project has not had a new posting for two weeks, to be honest every once in a while I think that we can all use a "beauty break". Everyday I read speak to people about beauty and body image issues, read hundreds of articles in newspapers in magazines from around the world, scan internet blogs and listen to radio programs all having something to do with beauty, body image and women's issues. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but there comes a point where we all need to take a step back and give ourselves space and time. With so much sharing going on, it is important to take time to process what we take in - and decide what is right for each of us as individuals. The most wonderful thing about beauty is that it is unique, personal, the sum of our life experiences - and what is right for one is not right for everyone.
Beauty is exhausting. Finding ourselves is a process. Transformation takes patience. At The Beautiful Women Project we are really talking about transforming how as individuals define our own beauty not only ourselves, but also how society defines beauty. The folktale about the tortoise and the hare is tried and true - slow and steady wins the race. There is no quick fix for finding our inner beauty or for redefining how we see ourselves and others. Yet, with time and an open mind it is our belief that it will happen in the most wonderful and positive of ways.
Beauty is exhausting. Finding ourselves is a process. Transformation takes patience. At The Beautiful Women Project we are really talking about transforming how as individuals define our own beauty not only ourselves, but also how society defines beauty. The folktale about the tortoise and the hare is tried and true - slow and steady wins the race. There is no quick fix for finding our inner beauty or for redefining how we see ourselves and others. Yet, with time and an open mind it is our belief that it will happen in the most wonderful and positive of ways.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The Power of Beauty
I have learned so many things from the thirty five women in Beautiful Women, but I have also learned from every person who has attended an exhibit of The Beautiful Women Project and read Beautiful Women. In every woman I see my past, present and future self. I could make a list a mile long and still not cover everything that I have learned, but I would like to share three with you this week.
Beauty is transformational, not just for the woman who feels beautiful, but the people that her beauty touches. The message of Beautiful Women is simple, but powerful: it is the sum of a woman’s life experiences that makes her beautiful.
Being beautiful is about how a woman carries her life’s experiences and allows them to shine through her for the world to see. Beauty is not boastful, it is a gift to all of those who embrace it and have the honor of being in its presence.
Accepting and believing that you are a beautiful woman is not something that happens over night, regardless of how many times someone tells you that you are beautiful. A woman has to really feel it in the core of her being. I think being proud of yourself and your accomplishments is the first step in believing that you are beautiful.
Beauty is transformational, not just for the woman who feels beautiful, but the people that her beauty touches. The message of Beautiful Women is simple, but powerful: it is the sum of a woman’s life experiences that makes her beautiful.
Being beautiful is about how a woman carries her life’s experiences and allows them to shine through her for the world to see. Beauty is not boastful, it is a gift to all of those who embrace it and have the honor of being in its presence.
Accepting and believing that you are a beautiful woman is not something that happens over night, regardless of how many times someone tells you that you are beautiful. A woman has to really feel it in the core of her being. I think being proud of yourself and your accomplishments is the first step in believing that you are beautiful.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I Am Beautiful...No Matter What Anyone Says
I was recently asked a simple question: Why do you think women especially are so wrapped up in their outer-physical appearance? I wish that there was a simple answer.
Ultimately, I think that women like to feel beautiful. What we need to do is take a moment and realize that there is a difference between feeling beautiful and buying into what others are showing us should be considered beautiful.
From the time that we are little girls being pretty has had something to do with our clothes, hair, shoes. It is hard to change this as a little girl grows into a teenager and then a woman who is bombarded with images of beauty and perfection.
The media presents an attainable version of perfection: any woman can achieve a particular look, weight, or type of skin as long as you buy their products. What women need to remember is that these companies are in the business of selling products and would anyone buy their products if they gave them acne, fly-aways, made them gain weight, or make wrinkles appear instead of disappear?
The Beautiful Women Project and book Beautiful Women is a reminder that we are already beautiful. All of the products and programs on the market are there to enhance our beauty, not magically bring it out. Beauty comes from within, you already own it! We are given a body, skin, and a set of circumstances that we weave together to make a life for ourselves. Let’s start focusing on who we are and being proud of that woman. If you want to change things, go ahead – but remember to reflect on why you want to make those changes and be proud of the experiences that will come as a result of your choice to change.
Ultimately, I think that women like to feel beautiful. What we need to do is take a moment and realize that there is a difference between feeling beautiful and buying into what others are showing us should be considered beautiful.
From the time that we are little girls being pretty has had something to do with our clothes, hair, shoes. It is hard to change this as a little girl grows into a teenager and then a woman who is bombarded with images of beauty and perfection.
The media presents an attainable version of perfection: any woman can achieve a particular look, weight, or type of skin as long as you buy their products. What women need to remember is that these companies are in the business of selling products and would anyone buy their products if they gave them acne, fly-aways, made them gain weight, or make wrinkles appear instead of disappear?
The Beautiful Women Project and book Beautiful Women is a reminder that we are already beautiful. All of the products and programs on the market are there to enhance our beauty, not magically bring it out. Beauty comes from within, you already own it! We are given a body, skin, and a set of circumstances that we weave together to make a life for ourselves. Let’s start focusing on who we are and being proud of that woman. If you want to change things, go ahead – but remember to reflect on why you want to make those changes and be proud of the experiences that will come as a result of your choice to change.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Why Are So Many of Us Women Afraid of our Own Shadows?
Sunday was Groundhog Day - and the powers that be say that if the groundhog sees his shadow we have six more weeks of winter. Why is the groundhog afraid of his own shadow? Better yet, why are so many of us women afraid of own shadows?
A shadow is simply a silhouette of our being. Silhouette - such a beautiful word. I remember as a child that as part of a class project the teacher would call us up one by one and outline our sihouettes for us. We would then cut them out, paste them on another sheet of paper and give them as presents to our mothers for Mother's Day. Our shadows were presents - gifts.
Our shadows are still gifts. They show us the curves that define our bodies, the wisps of hair that frame our faces, the length of our legs that carry us everyday. Our shadows only define our physical beings, they don't define who we are as individuals. We are responsible for the type of people that we want to be in this lifetime. When I look at my shadow I need to reflect upon the type of wife, mother, daughter, friend, and member of my community that I want to be, not the fact that I look stubby because I am five foot three and all of the flyaways are pronounced on the cement below me. Whenever I think of these things when I see my shadow - I smile, this is what I am most proud of and the rest melts away even for only a moment.
Next time you see your shadow, don't be afraid. Stop and take a moment to look at your body and become your shadow's friend. Don't run from who you are - create who you want to be.
A shadow is simply a silhouette of our being. Silhouette - such a beautiful word. I remember as a child that as part of a class project the teacher would call us up one by one and outline our sihouettes for us. We would then cut them out, paste them on another sheet of paper and give them as presents to our mothers for Mother's Day. Our shadows were presents - gifts.
Our shadows are still gifts. They show us the curves that define our bodies, the wisps of hair that frame our faces, the length of our legs that carry us everyday. Our shadows only define our physical beings, they don't define who we are as individuals. We are responsible for the type of people that we want to be in this lifetime. When I look at my shadow I need to reflect upon the type of wife, mother, daughter, friend, and member of my community that I want to be, not the fact that I look stubby because I am five foot three and all of the flyaways are pronounced on the cement below me. Whenever I think of these things when I see my shadow - I smile, this is what I am most proud of and the rest melts away even for only a moment.
Next time you see your shadow, don't be afraid. Stop and take a moment to look at your body and become your shadow's friend. Don't run from who you are - create who you want to be.
True Self, True Beauty
I love the days that The Beautiful Women Project women go on a field trip. It is an opportunity for me to meet women, hear their stories, and reaffirm what I believed in my heart when I created this project: we are not alone in our journey. So, that leads me to the question: if we are not alone on our journeys why does it feel so lonely at times?
Sharing our thoughts and experiences is sometimes difficult to do with family and friends. We are so afraid of being judged for being who we really are that we choose to isolate ourselves rather than of share what may be the best part of ourselves. It is easier to share ourselves with strangers - whether it be at an exhibition or through the internet, because strangers don't have any expectations for who we are suppose to be - they just accept us for who we present to them in that moment. Usually, that is our truest selves. And that is when we are most beautiful.
It is really scary to show a side of yourself that you don't think others will accept, I know I have been there myself. I bet what you will find is one of two things: (1) people already had a sense about who you really were and have been waiting for your revelation and/or (2) they respect you for being true to yourself.
It is here that I come back to my premise: beauty shines from within and when you are true to yourself your light shines brighter and brighter. It is the sum of your life experiences that makes you beautiful and the more that you share those experiences, share your true self, you will find that you are not alone on your journey. There are so many other women who are experiencing and feeling the same things you are in your life. The community of women is wonderful, welcoming, and supportive. Join us in sharing your true selves, your true beauty.
Sharing our thoughts and experiences is sometimes difficult to do with family and friends. We are so afraid of being judged for being who we really are that we choose to isolate ourselves rather than of share what may be the best part of ourselves. It is easier to share ourselves with strangers - whether it be at an exhibition or through the internet, because strangers don't have any expectations for who we are suppose to be - they just accept us for who we present to them in that moment. Usually, that is our truest selves. And that is when we are most beautiful.
It is really scary to show a side of yourself that you don't think others will accept, I know I have been there myself. I bet what you will find is one of two things: (1) people already had a sense about who you really were and have been waiting for your revelation and/or (2) they respect you for being true to yourself.
It is here that I come back to my premise: beauty shines from within and when you are true to yourself your light shines brighter and brighter. It is the sum of your life experiences that makes you beautiful and the more that you share those experiences, share your true self, you will find that you are not alone on your journey. There are so many other women who are experiencing and feeling the same things you are in your life. The community of women is wonderful, welcoming, and supportive. Join us in sharing your true selves, your true beauty.
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