Lead by Example

I absolutely love this quote from Kate Winslet.  “As a child, I never heard one woman say to me: ‘I love my body.’ Not my mother, my elder sister, my best friend. Not one woman has ever said: ‘I am so proud of my body.’ So, I make sure I say it to Mia, because a positive physical outlook has to start from a very early age.” - Kate Winslet

I love that she has taken the initiative to not just tell her daughter that she is beautiful and that she should be proud, but she lives it out her self. It is hard to grow up being strong and confident when you are raised in insecurity. Mothers are beautifully selfless and all want their daughters to understand how amazing and beautiful they are. But who of us can say that our mothers, sisters, aunts, or grandmothers, proclaimed confidence and beauty? We may see them as the most beautiful creatures we ever laid eyes on both physically and for all they do and accomplish, but did they ever realize it themselves? For more than a fleeting moment, were they able to call themselves beautiful? 

I think if we want a society that raises up women and celebrates their beauty, and we want to raise daughters that are confident and strong and sure of themselves, we must first realize that in ourselves. Putting yourself down, even jokingly in front of you spouse, friends, and especially children, is beneficial for no one. You tare down yourself and in the process create an attitude that seemingly approves of self hate. However unintentional, your friends, and especially your daughters, will see how you feel towards yourself. Take time each day to realize your own worth- and spread it around to all the women in your life. Be proud of all that you are!