Fitness in a Barbie World
Many people, myself included, turn to social media for fitness inspiration, I don't think that is a bad idea if you take it with a grain of salt. What do I mean by that? There are so many amazing people on social media; however, we see things through our own filters or InstaGram's filters even. ;) This can create unrealistic expectations for our own results. It can cloud our progress so that we cannot see our results even though those around us see it very clearly.
I'm aware that some people will think I'm being harsh or maybe even judgmental. Really I am just telling you my thoughts as they mill around in my head. I can't stop that voice in my head so I might as well let it out. Can you relate?
When I was in Paris with a good group of girlfriends we continued to notice how beautiful all the women were even though at home we might think of them as ordinary. They walked with complete confidence, there was a spring in their step, a sparkle in their eyes and an easiness about them.
After a week of people watching we realized what made these women stand out. For the first time in a long time we were experiencing the presence of true natural beauty. They did not have plastic surgery, parts larger than fit their frame. They didn't even wear makeup. All of these women were 100% comfortable in their bodies. Gone was the need to look a certain way or fit into an uncomfortable mold. They could just be!
This was very freeing experience. We are surrounded by so many images of the perfect life, the perfect body or someone else's idea of how we should look. This last one is a tough one for me because why in the world should we look like anything other than we are?
Many of us may have grown up playing with Barbie dolls. I know I LOVED mine. I had several different types but they all had one thing in common. They were perfect! I spent hours dressing them, french braiding their hair, putting on makeup & even giving one Barbie stitches with a real needle & thread when her & Ken crashed the motor home. (Ken was driving by the way).
Did you know that if Barbie was life-sized her waist would measure eleven inches? Think about that. How can we strive to look like that? I am so glad they have more realistic Barbies now. But when you think of Barbie which version do you see in your head? That's what I thought.
When I scroll through my InstaGram I see many people who look too good to be true. My mind tells me it is a filter but inside sometimes I wonder if am doing enough with my training. I mean, could I do more? How do they look like that?
That's not how I look when I am at the gym
or out for date night. I don't want to work that hard to be me. Seriously, I'd rather spend time enjoying myself.
When I was younger I had a huge gap between my front teeth. I'm not kidding. Feel free to ask my brothers. It was great for squirting people in the pool with water. For years it did not bother me. I guess that is what they call innocence and the freedom to be ourselves. With time that changed as more & more people asked me why didn't fix it. Like something was wrong with me.
I got really self-conscious about my smile & I love to smile and laugh. When I got my first job the first thing I did was fix that gap & my four crooked teeth. That should have made me feel better and honestly, it did. I was actually relieved and proud that I had fixed the problem. However, every once in a while when I look in the mirror I don't notice my beautiful geen eyes but I see that gap - just like it's still there. I am human and I admit I still have some work to do. My question for you is why can't
we be kind to each other and point out the good instead of questioning something just because it's different ?
