Thursday, September 29, 2011

What are We Doing?

We were thrilled to "meet" Kimberly Riggins in the virtual world of Twitter, because when we did we learned about the wonderful ways she sees beautiful. Committing herself to helping women embrace themselves, just as they are. Sound like something See Beautiful would like? You're oh-so-right!

Kimberly's program movement, The Art of Eating Chocolate Naked, is "a beginning for all women ready to embrace themselves just as they are. She is 100% committed to you and women of all ages who are tired of determining their happiness with the way they look or don’t look. Kimberly writes, "I am here to tell you that you don’t have to lose those last 5-10 pounds before you can feel attractive, go after the love you crave, pursue your dream career or find the life you know is out there waiting for you. I am going to help you stand in your beauty as is it today and give you permission to be whoever you want to be. I am going to encourage indulging in the decadent things in life, like chocolate, wine, and passion. I am going to show you that you can have it all without feeling guilty, depressed, or deprived. You can have the life of your dreams, a body you are proud of and all the other kick ass things the world has to offer. It is not about sacrifice…it is about acceptance"

Why is Kimberly so passionate about This Movement?

"Well, hell, because I have been where you are. I have been YOU. I spent most of my life hating my body. And mirrors…they were the enemy. Every time I looked into one of those “things”, I saw “lines”— my word for cellulite. Seriously…I was a raving lunatic. I spent so much time dwelling on the fact that I was less than perfect, I am surprised that I even had a life to live at all. It dominated my teen years and brought me to my knees…I finally had to admit that I was plagued with the ED… an eating disorder. But even after I was “cured” or so I thought, my body image issues would rear their ugly head. It affected my self-esteem, my relationships and my goals. But the good news is, my aha moment came and the light bulb burned brightly.
What I learned was that I was the one rendering myself powerless and I was the one who was inhibiting my happiness. There was no one else to blame, no one else to compare myself to and nothing left to be said. I was taking my power back and I was going to embrace who I was…physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So what if I have slightly flabby thighs (a little more exercise could help this) or tiny forever-perky breasts (I don’t have to run with a sports bra on)…I am beautiful because I say I am."
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So, we could have stopped there. Kimberly's herself oozes "see beautiful." Kimberly's brilliantly dubbed movement, The Art of Eating Chocolate Naked, makes you want to do just that because you know understand the reasoning behind it. But, her feature on See Beautiful doesn't stop there. When we read through her blog we couldn't stop thinking of ways we HAD to feature her writing. With Kimberly's permission we're cross-listing one of her blog posts today. We have no doubt you'll enjoy!
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Over the last few weeks, I have come across some of the most disturbing headlines.

Fake Boobs & Butt for Child Beauty Contestant.

A four-year-old is dressed with fake boobs and prosthetic buttocks for a child beauty pageant. In addition, she has fake eyelashes, a spray tan, used teeth whitener and is caked full of makeup.

10-Year-Old Fashion Model Sparks Debate.

A 10-year-old little girl sports high heels and a seductive look while sprawled out over a tiger skin rug. If that wasn’t enough, she has even gone topless with only a beaded necklace covering her chest.

What’s “Maggie Goes on a Diet” Saying to Children?

“Maggie” is about a fourteen-year-old girl who is overweight and mocked by her classmates, but dreams of achieving popularity, wearing cuter clothes, and becoming a soccer star. Maggie goes on a diet and all of those dreams come true…just like that.
Are you shocked?
I wish I could say I was stunned but unfortunately I am not at all surprised.
It’s not bad enough that we (“society”) already use models that are emaciated. Or that we airbrush or enhance every photo, now we are using 4 and 10-year-olds as the objects of beauty.
We will do just about anything to sell beauty or to promote “thinness and perfection”.
It makes me cringe!
Seriously!

Wake Up America! 

It’s no wonder that over 80% of women suffer from body image issues. Over 7 million girls and women in this country have eating disorders, and over two thirds of Americans are now tipping the scales, border-lining on obesity.

And let’s not forget how it’s affecting our children. Over 42% of elementary school students between 1st and 3rd grades want to be thinner and over 80% of children who are ten years old are afraid of being fat.

We did this! And only we can fix it.

Four-year-olds should not be concerned with fake boobs, butt implants, fake eyelashes, tanning beds, or makeup. Ten-year-olds should not be dressed like playboy models in slinky, barely there dresses, high heels and bustiers. And certainly no child, including 14-year-olds should be put on strict diets screwing up their metabolism before it fully develops.
These kids should be playing, exploring nature and making friends; figuring out who they are on their own, not thrown into a lifestyle they are definitely not ready for. Hell, most adults are not ready to deal with the drama the media has imposed on us.

What are we teaching our children?

We are destroying their future by instilling bad habits with food, over-sensationalizing sex and creating the perfect ideal body no one on the planet will be able to obtain. (Did you know that most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women?)
You think we are screwed up now…just wait. If things don’t change, the girls of tomorrow are going to be in serious trouble.

What should we do?

Let’s stand together and do something about this. Let’s teach our children the value of healthy food, positive body image, and the power of confidence.
Don’t you think they deserve it?
Okay, time to step off my soapbox. I really didn’t mean to rant but this really BURNS ME UP!

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It burns us up too! In fact, we found ourselves having to step off the soapbox after reading this too. We hope you'll share your thoughts with Kimberly HERE on her blog.

For more ways to connect with Kimberly  (and we hope you do), you can:
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Are you looking for a tangible reminder to see beautiful, or know someone who needs one? Check out our See Beautiful Products  (and feel good knowing a portion of proceeds from every purchase is donated to charity. This month a portion of all proceeds will be donated to The Pablove Foundation.). Click HERE

    1 comment:

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts & helping others see beautiful too!