A Beautiful Body Project-Jade Beall

Jade Beall's A Beautiful Body Project has become a new daily inspiration for me. Having struggled with body image my whole life (I remember being four and thinking I was too fat!!!!) the Beautiful Body Project gives me hope. Hope that one day our children will grow up knowing they are beautiful. That there is not an unachievable, media fed, one size fits all version of what beauty is "supposed" to look like.

We are all beautiful. Stretch marks, cellulite, saggy breasts, scars, curves, no curves, etc.. It is all apart of us, and tells a story of where we have been. These stories have brought us to where we are. Our bodies are a vehicle taking us on our adventure in life.

I'm not saying working out and getting in shape is wrong. Or that we shouldn't want to strive to look a certain way, I just think we should appreciate what we have and not beat ourselves up for not looking the way we want to look.

Recently it was discovered that my sons friend has kidney cancer. He is seven. This is much too close to home for me. My heart aches for this little boy and his family. I am reminded that life is a gift. Why waste a second of this glorious gift hating our bodies when we can be celebrating them and the adventures they take us on?

Life is short. Take a moment each day and do something loving for yourself, because you deserve it.

We are beautiful! YOU are beautiful!