It is my belief that you should love and respect yourself through thick and thin! Let’s face it nobody is perfect, so stop criticizing yourself for being less than perfect. Always do your best, but not reaching perfection is not failure and remember that no matter what, you will always be perfect just the way you are, flaws included. Everyone on this earth is unique, we all have different gifts so never compare yourself to others, wanting to be like another person is like losing your identity. Start focusing on your own strength, get to know yourself, and discover what your greatest gift is that you are meant to share with the world. Always be grateful for what you have because gratitude keeps your heart open to love, I always think it makes you a better person. In order to love yourself, you have to stop loving the person you wish you were and love the person you actually are instead.
We can try and pretend to be someone that we’re not, but in the end that only hurts us and the facade can’t stay up forever. Just be the person that you are and learn to love yourself, it’s just as simple as that.There are a lot of people out there that have had hard lives, bad beginnings/moments. Don’t close yourself out of grief, disappointments, or fears of future ridicule. Acknowledge your feelings, but work to put them behind you. Cherish what you have learned from your challenges, and how you have changed and grown from them. Forgive those who have done you wrong, you will feel so much better. I asked some of our beautiful Curvy Girls in Puerto Rico to try the mirror exercise…telling them to go look in a mirror to look closely at themselves and imagine that the mirror was someone putting them down, then, practice calmly saying, “I do not care what you think” “I am beautiful” “ I love myself” “ Your attitude and words will not hurt me” all this time with a smile and practice it until they truly believed it. Remember do not allow some other person’s image of “perfect” control you.
If you believe you are pretty, the person in the mirror will look pretty. If you focus on what others don’t like about you, that is all you will see. Trust me, mirrors will be your friend in this process, seeing yourself as lovely and worthy of love is very important. Pick out a favorite thing about yourself. Don’t look in the mirror and proceed to look for something that needs “fixing.” Focus on the positives until you are in a place where you can objectively see yourself and areas that you legitimately may want to “fix.” You never know, the mirror could actually become your best friend…I asked my curvy beauties to tell me in one sentence what they saw in the mirror after doing this exercise and I loved their responses….
Estefania Rodriguez-“I saw in the mirror an imperfect but real woman, courageous, determined, strong and my imperfections make me beautiful.”
Princess Consuela-“I saw in that mirror a winner that managed to overcome the negative comments that the mirror sent me.”
Neysha Martinez Orengo- “I saw in that mirror my flaws and my virtues, and they make me a strong woman, because although I am not perfect I am still beautiful.”
Susan Santana-“Do not be fooled and underestimated because you are a different size, you have the key and you are able to open anything your heart desires.”
“Stop saying these negative things about yourself. Look in the mirror and find something about yourself that’s positive and celebrate that!”
Tyra Banks
Marta Rivera is a blogger from Puerto Rico, she is an English professor and a Plus Size advocate on the Island, an Island that is mainly for thin models, but she is trying her best to change that. Marta will be blogging for Curvy Girl on a Budget letting us know everything that is happening in the Plus Size community from fashion to events in Puerto Rico.
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