be you

For a few weeks now, I have been posting daily photos on my instagram (www.instagram.com/kelleybaber) with the hashtag #projectlife365. This site give a weekly list of themes, one for each day. You add the hashtag for that theme, and the hashtag for projectlife365, and your photo shows up on their site. You can go and see how everyone else interpreted the theme, which is kind of fun. And every day, they pick a few of the best photos to highlight on their feed. That may have been a bit much for some of my non-techy readers...all that to say, today's theme was #words_to_live_by. Above is the photo I posted for the theme.

At work I have a little metal board full of cute magnets. This one is my favorite. My favorite quote is, "Be yourself...everyone else is already taken" by Oscar Wilde. I am a big advocate of embracing yourself...and posting about this today, it brought some thoughts to mind that I wanted to share.

Recently, we have had a few discussions with Aspen about self confidence. It seems that most girls these days are very insecure in themselves, but think extremely highly of all the girls around them. Aspen is often saying, "Oh, she is so beautiful!", "I wish I had her hair!", "She is the cutest person I have ever met!" etc. She says these things a LOT. However, when any compliment is given to her, she downplays it big time and refuses to agree/accept.

Chris and I have been trying to get a few things set in her mind:

1. God created her EXACTLY as he wanted her to be. In God's mind, she is perfect.

2. If she is perfect in God's eyes, how can she even try to dispute that?

3. God does want us to take care of what he gave us by eating right, exercising, treating our bodies like a temple where God dwells.

4. The jealousy she feels toward these other girls is not of God -- we are not to covet what others have. Jealousy is of the devil.

5. It is okay to appreciate things about other girls. Appreciation and jealousy are separate things.

6. Everyone has insecurities, and we should try to build one another up.

7. We all need to learn how to accept a compliment graciously and humbly; a compliment is someone else trying to build us up. We need one another.

I bring these things up now because we all struggle. Not just teenage girls. Girls and women are not always good to each other. We tear each other down, we criticize, we compare. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we appreciated everyone as a creation of God? If we believed that we are all beautiful in our own way? If we determined to appreciate ourselves???

No more negative self talk!! Embrace your beauty and your imperfections. There is only one you!! Be you.