It’s happening. They’re starting to appear. They cannot be ignored. And it’s only going to get worse. Brace yourself! The onslaught of bathing suit advertisements has begun! (Insert the theme from Psyco here.) All kidding aside, chances are that every time you see one of these ads, it makes you cringe inside. They are a reminder that your body isn’t where you want it to be. They may even be a reminder that you aren’t fully living the life you want, either. Maybe you dislike being in a swimsuit so much that you: Decline invitations to pool parties with your friends. Delay beach vacations with your family. Stand on the shore and watch as your family water skis or is having fun without you. I’ll be perfectly honest. Even though I love and appreciate my body, feel confident and attractive most of the time, and know I can absolutely rock a little black dress, getting into a swimsuit still brings up old fears. I still catch myself judging specific body parts, and feeling insecure in any swimsuit that doesn’t have shorts or a skirt to camouflage trouble spots. The good news is I have the tools—and the desire—to shift negative catabolic energy that is not serving me. What is really going on here is that you and I are judging ourselves before we give anyone else the chance to judge us. Too often, women are so afraid of how others “might” judge them that they curtail their life and how much fun they allow themselves to have. This is especially true when it comes to being in swimsuits. You put off pool- or beach-side fun until some future time when you have lost the weight or are in better shape. Or […]
Ready or Not! Swimsuit Season is Here!
Memorial Day weekend is before us and pools across the U.S. will be opening for Summer. If you’ve been working hard and are fit and ready to show off your bikini-ready body; Congratulations! If not, don’t decline that pool-party invitation. Go and have fun, anyway. Too often, people are so afraid of how others “might” judge them that they curtail their summer activities and how much fun they allow themselves to have. Pool- or beach-side fun are put off until some future time when they have lost the weight or are in better shape. Or if they do go, they’re so uncomfortable that they wind up being miserable. Life is too short to put off fun—perhaps indefinitely—because of what someone “might” think. That’s like not being willing to go outside because a meteor “might” fall on your head. It’s time to start living fully now. One way to shift your thoughts to allow yourself to be more comfortable pool-side is to think about what you think about others. Are you judging them harshly or are you so concerned about your own body that you aren’t giving them much thought? And if you are judging others, how long are you focused on them before your thoughts turn back to yourself? Most people aren’t judging you because they are too focused on how they look in a swimsuit. And if they are judging, you may be a target of their focus for a total of 30 seconds before they turn their focus to someone else, or more likely, back to themselves and what they’re doing. How reasonable it is to curtail your fun and enjoyment for any amount of time because of what someone “might” think about […]
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