It isn’t a secret that we can be our own worst enemies, especially when it comes to how we see ourselves in pictures. We are our harshest critics, we see things others don’t notice, we get down on ourselves. We’ve been conditioning ourselves for years to see the worst by constantly breaking ourselves down. Society pushes us to try to “look” like those we see in the spotlight, those that are meticulously dressed, with layers of make-up, not one hair out of place, and photoshopped to perfection. 

It isn’t reality. 

Think about it, how often do we see articles showcasing side by side images of celebrities where they put the orchestrated image where they are designed to look effortless and perfect next to the natural raw image where they are actually enjoying life effortlessly. Now think about how those articles make you think things like “wow they look like crap”, “goodness she looks tired”, “wow becoming a mother is really taking a toll on her body”. You see how we’ve been conditioned to see the worst when we are given the “best” to compare it to.

Now think about articles where they show a celebrity post weight loss. They always put the worst image next to a fully polished new image. Pushing the agenda that natural isn’t as good, pushing that skinny makes you happier and “more put together” than heavier. 

How are we supposed to not push these ideas onto ourselves and our bodies? 

How many people have looked into the mirror and thought wow, I wish I was as fat as I was when I thought I was fat 5 years ago. 

Why don’t we look in the mirror and say, wow, it’s been five years and look how my body has adjusted to help continue to serve me and my needs. 

Beth had and idea, and volunteered to use one of her images where she could break down what she sees in her images. I thought it would be powerful to compare it to what others saw in her images. So I posted her image in the VIP and shared on Facebook, where I asked people to leave a word or two about what they noticed first in the following image.