Being ‘plus sized.’
I haven’t been to the gym in four months due to my anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in my knee. In layman’s terms if you haven’t been following over here at “The Butterfly House” I pretty much busted everything I possibly could in my knee due to a hockey injury.
I’d seen this store pre injury but for some reason this sign seemed to peeve me off even more this time round. You see. I’m a size 12 and I wouldn’t consider myself ‘plus size.’ And why label people anyway? Is it really necessary to label a certain size as ‘plus size?’
Robyn Lawley, a 24 year old ‘plus size’ model said that skinny models should perhaps be called ‘minus size.’ In the interview that showcased in Clique magazine she also asserts that she should not be called ‘plus size’ when in fact she is the size of an average woman.
No wonder we are so messed up.
These past two weeks I’ve been teaching the year 10 girls at school about ‘Self Esteem.’ It was interesting that when I posed the question ‘What or who influenced their self esteem the most?’ the students replied ‘magazines, television and celebrities.’ Isn’t that a scary thought?
But at the end of the day are we as adults any different? Think about the amount of skin wrinkle creams we have in our bathroom, the sucking in underwear that leaves us breathless (and not in the good way) hidden in our wardrobe and the concealer to hide our imperfections.
Now I’m not saying to ditch the make up (unless it’s full of chemicals of course). Make up can make us feel beautiful and glamorous and that’s also fine but take a seriously hard look at yourself and ask yourself why you do what you do? Is it to fit the label someone places on us? Or are we genuinely doing it for ourselves?
Usually it’s the former. But don’t stress here are some ways you can kick that negativity to the curb!
3 Ways You Can Remove the Labels and Kick Butt at Awesome Self Esteem
Remember that a label is just that. A label.
It doesn’t take into account your character as a person. It doesn’t tell you that you are a beautiful mum, a friendly confidante, or a hard worker. We all fall for it! Labels are limiting beliefs. And they can keep us stuck in a messy place. Especially when we want to act outside of the label but are too scared to move outside of ‘certain expectations.’
When a label fits we thrive on it. However, when it doesn’t fit we feel bad don’t we? Just like I did when I saw the ‘plus size 12’ sign. (Although I think I felt more infuriated then anything!). We even buy into the lies that they sell us. If you wear this particular item you will be ‘sexier’ and perhaps ‘get the hottest guy out there.’ We start to associate our worth with these labels and that is soooo not what God has to say about who we are!
There’s a good article here on how to lose your limiting labels and beliefs. If you are one of those people who feels like a label is well and truly stuck on you and you don’t know where to move then this resource is excellent for helping you to get unstuck. You could even take a ‘self esteem inventory.’ Write down 10 of your strengths. Yes 10. It might seem like a lot but have a go and see what you come up with. You’ll probably unlock something super cool!
Quit reading that so called ‘fitspiration.’
I’m so over it! Seriously? What is our obsession with it? Do you actually speak to yourself like that? And if so what exactly are you manifesting because of it? Look at the following ‘fitspiration’ I have read:
Don’t be satisfied until you like what you see in the mirror.
I is the only difference between fit and fat.
The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.
Mmm interesting. Fear based scare mongering at its worst.
And we’ve become good at it haven’t we? Hands up. How many of you have a pintrest board/evernote/mood board dedicated to ‘fitspiration?’
How many of these are actually not inspirational but negative?
What would it feel like to focus not on the size of the clothing or the number on the scales but on developing your character as a person?
What could you do to be a more compassionate, loving and giving member of the community?
What might actually happen if you were to love yourself more?
The opportunities are endless.
Put Aside Perfection and Embrace Your Unique You
A while ago I wrote about “Why you think being a perfectionist is your best you?” Perfectionism at the end of the day is unobtainable. We will never be ‘perfect.’ So while I’m on that happy note look at your accomplishments and celebrate them. Embrace your unique you. Perhaps you can start a daily gratitude journal. Maybe you could start to keep track of the gifts and blessings that come your way. I remember looking over my journal and even writing in kind words that people had said to me. That way you can look back over it and remember that people out there care about you, not your perfectionism.
What labels have you or others placed in your life? How have you dealt with them? Let’s get a conversation going and you can share this below if you loved it!
