Yes,you.

A little bit about me... serious body image issues resulting in three treatment centers when I was close to death at 13, 18 and 30.  I was surrounded by girls and then women just like me. We struggle to look in the mirror, to be in a swimsuit, to stand anywhere but the very back in the gym class.  I know you are out there too. I love you.

I also know those of you out there that have slayed the body image demon.  You stand proudly at the beach like these women. You are in the front of the class facing the mirror with your own reflection so close you can touch it.  I love you too. 

Like many of us do during or after our struggles, I found a silver lining later in life.  I am a mom to two beautiful young women but we didn't have fashion magazines, diet talk, a scale or weight talk in our home and I taught them they could always turn around and NOT look at the scale during doctor visits.   Had I not journeyed through my own issues before, I may have leaked that junk out on to them! 

I don't know what your goal(s) look like unless we are working together but part of my  job is to make sure they aren't self-deprecating but rather, full of self love while also honoring God with your purpose.  I doubt God wants me hiding in the corner in the back of my barre class trying to creativley avoid looking in the mirror.  He knows I am a work in progress and that I'll somehow find a way to honor His purpose for me from a safe lil distance for now, and if you're like me, you will too.   

During one of my treatment stays, a stunning young woman sat next to me in group for weeks.  She would tell me that she hated her reflection.  I could simply not believe she didn't see what I saw.  I wrote the below message on a Post-it, stuck it in our bathroom mirror and the next day she came to me  thanking me for giving her a new way to look at herself.  

Look at yourself the way I see you and all that will remain is beauty.  Love God

You are more awesome than you think you are.. ass and all. Keep moving toward the front, and if you are already there.. thank you for reminding us to SLAY.