Last week when I was traveling home from CHA I had a four hour layover in Chicago.
I found this on a mirror in the ladies room and I had to snap a photo.
Who knew an airport bathroom could be so deep?
Isn’t that the truth?
You know what’s funny? I am so hard on myself. Why do I allow myself to speak to me that way?
I wouldn’t take it from friends. Jimmy would never speak to me that way.
So why is it okay for me to tear myself down? To have unrealistic expectations for myself?
It’s not okay. And something I’ve struggled with my entire life. I used to have the worst self-confidence ever. And it’s gotten SO much better over the years.
But it’s always a work in progress. Being kind to myself. Being gentle. Encouraging myself. Not expecting myself to be perfect.
Seeing the real me in the mirror. The one who is perfectly imperfect just the way she is.
Learning to laugh at myself and not take myself so seriously.
Remembering that I only get to do this once and I want to do it right.
That’s my lifelong challenge.
I constantly strive to teach my daughters to love and accept themselves. And I’m teaching myself at the same time.
Sometimes it just takes a bathroom mirror to give me that gentle reminder. 🙂
Who would have thunk it?
xoxo
What an extrodinary woman who placed that sticker there. She was giving you and all who stopped in a little love for themselves.
Love it!
I pinned this when it was on your twitter. I’m deleting that one and pinning this one that includes your words. . . Thank you for the nudge!
I need this reminder as well. I think that women are always hard on themselves. Always. This is a great reminder!! XOXO
What a beautiful gift that is to give to your girls…and by far the most important one you can give to yourself 🙂 Lovely post!
Hey Stephanie — Honest truth….when I saw pics of you at CHA (here and other blogs by the way)…I thought “She looks fantastic!”. 🙂 Always remember, so many think YOU ROCK! 🙂
I love that saying and need to remind myself of that more often. The hardest part is raising our girls to think and feel better about themselves! By the way I think you are fantastic!!
My views changed once I gained weight due to a medical problem and realized I was not going to be a looker no matter what I did. And my house was always a wreck too. So, I had to decide what I was going to be able to contribute and decided that bringing up good kids, with a future, would be my goal. After that, I decided that whatever people thought of me, good or bad, was really their problem, not mine. I could only do what I could do. With my focus off of me, and making sure that I was eating right, and following doctor’s orders, I found myself peaceful and happy. Plus, I had had a long history as a community volunteer and had had a working career too. So, it seemed, I really had nothing to prove anymore. So, one should ask, what plans does God have for me? And the answer should be enough to give one peace of mind. He also gave us a sense of humor so we could laugh at ourselves. In your case, four adorable and funny girls answers all the questions.
Love it. This has been the single hardest challenge of my life, as well. So wonderful to get a reminder just when we need it:)
this is always a battle for me too, always thinking I need to look better or do better, always working to accept me for me…thanks for the reminder…wonder who put that in the bathroom ? 🙂
hahaha, who would have thought – a dirty airport bathroom!?
So true. Something we should reread everyday, until we smile at that person we see in the mirror…
I love the gal that placed that sticker on that mirror! and love you to place it on your blog for all the women readers that will see your blog!
You said exactly how I feel!
hugs!
My husband definitely needs to put that on his mirror. He is hard on himself. Something important to teach our sons and daughters not to be so hard on themselves.
Great sticker. Thanks for the post – a good reminder for all of us….
Don’t be so hard on yourself – I think you’re one of the most beautiful people I know. You have both inner & outer beauty!
i think you wrote this post for me. growing up i was always so shy. i still am, but i push through it. i have a little 8 year old daughter who is always watching and listening. i strive to be a good example to her, but i fail sometimes. i reciently lost 37 pounds in 6 months. and when i was trying on a dress yesterday, the old mean thoughts creaped back into my mind. and i need to remind myself that i accomplished a big goal by losing that weight. and i look good. my husband tells me that i am beautiful, i just don’t always believe him. so, thank you for this post. i need to memorize it.
there is a campaign going around, http://www.operationbeautiful.com/about-2/ , that encourages people to leave positive post-it notes on public bathroom mirrors. i think it is a great idea…
thanks again,
jill
I think you’re doing brilliantly, but it is always a progress. I think your girls will teach you just as you teach them, and you’ll learn together which is a wonderful thing. So much love xxxxxx
Stephanie – this blog post really spoke to me. In fact, it brought me to tears (actually a lot of your posts do – in a good way). I feel like you took the words out of my head and wrote them down. Because darn it – it is so true. My husband and my kids would NEVER talk to me the way I talk to myself. Thank you so much for this lovely reminder!!!
me too. But then YOU have to realize that although YOU idolize others, still others idolize YOU. And you are worthy of that, MissS. YOU are a gift to all of us. maggieb!
Wow – when I read your posts and see your work, I am always so impressed by your attitude toward yourself, your family and the world around you. And I wish I was able to embody that attitude. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself.
sometimes we are our own worst enemy…instead we should be striving to be our own cheerleader!
You know Steph…. I have the same problem. Weight has always been an issue. My mom was harsh. It was tough growing up with positive thoughts.
I blame society. We as women, are suppose to look, act, react a certain way.
You can’t be too positive or proud cause people think you are snobby. HEAVEN forbid you talk good about yourself out loud cause UH OH…then, and only then the claws of those who struggle with security come back lashing and all of sudden you have the wrong attitude. It’s plain stupid. AND sad.
How lucky are we…that JESUS loves us just the way we are. No matter how much we bash on ourselves or speak highly of ourselves. It’s a beautiful kinda love.
Just delted my long comment!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr thanks for sharing.
Such a beautiful, unexpected reminder. It’s so true. We can certainly be our own worst enemies and it’s something that so many, if not all, of us struggle with throughout life. For our daughters, I so wish they could understand this at an early age, just let go, and embrace how wonderful they truly are… keep the confidence they have a preschoolers, before society distorts their views!
SO needed that today. Thank you. Especially the part about teaching my daughter to love and accept herself, how could I expect her to if I don’t set a good example? Thanks Steph.
Thank you for this.
I have horrible self-esteem issues and while I too have gotten better I know there is still more work to be done. My husband never lets me get away with it either and has said numerous times that he wants our little girl to not struggle as much as I have/do.
I’m going to put this saying on her bathroom mirror so she never forgets she is perfect just the way she is.
Oh and for what it’s worth – I/We, your blog readers, love you exactly.the.way.you.are
Love what you wrote. You are so cool and beautiful!
Thanks for sharing this find. It’s funny how you come across things like this when you really need them.
You are so right, we wouldn’t allow other people to talk to us the way we talk to ourselves, so why is ok for us to do the same. I’m definitely guilty of this and it is a habit worth breaking! Thanks for the reminder.
Unfortunately, this is very true for me, and I suspect most women. Your post made me think of a free webinar I just signed up for on this very topic, the negative chatter we allow in our head to speak into our lives all day long. I don’t know if you are familiar with Lysa TerKeurst, but she is hosting this webinar on the 30th at 9:00 PM. She is a really gifted Christian writer. Here’s the site if you are interested: http://www.ungluedbook.com/webcasts/. God bless.
I love the person who put that there!! I think we all have self doubt – what drives me crazy sometimes is, HOW AND WHEN did this start? Not everyone knows but I do. I was 7 and I received a pink jogging suit – (sweat pants and matching shirt) in light bubble gum pink, for Christmas that year. I LOVED IT!! It was a pretty colour and fleece on the inside and my Mom gave it to me. I loved it! Until I got to the bus stop the first day back to school that I wore it. And a nasty girl who lived down the road just by the bus stop laughed and said I looked like a pink elephant.
I was devastated. When I started having a say in what I wore and later when I bought my own clothes – NOTHING was pink. I think I was in my mid to late twenties before I got over that and started buying pink again.
Kids can be cruel, I know but what made her say that to some other kid she barely knew? Who was teaching her to be that way??
Steph, you are one of the most special, beautiful people I know and an AMAZING mother. Someday I hope to follow in your footsteps 🙂 xx