Week 20
I walked by an art gallery the other day. In the window was a porcelain figurine of a beautiful woman in an evening gown. She had an hourglass shape, only with a lot of extra sand on the bottom.
But the fact that her hips jutted out didn’t take anything away from the piece—in fact, I thought it made it more alluring.
Funny, because later that night as I got ready for a party and stared at my supersized hips in the mirror, alluring is far from the word I would have used to describe myself.
I put on some girdle type contraption to help make me appear a few inches smaller. I prayed I didn’t have to pee—there was no way I could get that thing back on again. But even with the aid of what I refer to as my skinny suit, I still wasn’t happy.
I tried on four different outfits. Why were my hips so big? But I guess the question I really should have been asking was—why was I so hard on myself?
In one of the dresses—for a split second—I thought I looked like the figurine. I decided to wear it. I put on my makeup and shoes, and before I headed out, took one last look in the mirror—then I switched outfits.
I got self-conscious. I didn’t want to draw attention to my body. What if people thought I looked horrible?
I have a friend who knows how to work a room. Everyone notices her when she walks in. She flashes a smile and exudes confidence and a vibe that she’s the most important person there—and guys can’t seem to get enough of her.
Yes, she’s a very pretty girl. But so are many of my other friends, and yet they don’t get that kind of reaction.
It boils down to attitude.
My friend who everyone flocks to doesn’t look uncomfortable or worried about what others think. She looks like she’s having a good time and is fun to be around.
And you know what? She got the same positive response from people when she was up 35 pounds.
Appearance involves a lot more than a size. It’s an attitude.
Sometimes I need to remind myself of that.
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