I have a lot of conversations with women.

Some friends, some acquaintances, some strangers.

We are complex creatures. We wear a lot of hats. Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Wives, Caretakers, Business Owners…the list goes on.

As diverse as our life paths are, I find that there is a common thread amongst us.

Insecurity about our physical bodies. That nagging feeling that, despite our best efforts, we are not enough.

Yup, I said it. Even the most outwardly confident women have SOMETHING they beat themselves up about. Young, WISE, thin, curvy, and everything in between. We all have something that nags at us.

The amount of self-defeating comments I hear and see on a daily basis, in-person or online, makes me sad, and I wonder how uplifting it could be if they just saw themselves the way people who love them do.

From time to time, I am guilty of it, too. Recently, I turned the BIG 5-0, and I went through a bit of a physical hardship that left me woefully out of shape, and a few pounds heavier in just a matter of a few months. Not feeling like myself physically really messed with my self image. My once strong and able body struggled to climb a flight of stairs without getting winded. My softer physique testing the limits of my stretchy clothing, I became uncomfortable in my own skin. I’m working on getting that back, and I know it will take time. I am giving myself grace.

Can anyone else relate? When faced with setbacks that affect our physicality, we default to extreme diets and exercise, punishing ourselves with feelings of unworthiness until we meet “x”. Unworthy of compliments. Unworthy of feeling beautiful. Unworthy of enjoyment and pleasure. And in some cases, unworthy of love.

Why, oh why do we do this to ourselves?

Stop believing the lies you tell yourself. 

We are worthy now.

Twenty pounds from now. 

Twenty years from now.

Before we reach our goals.

And After.

My wish for every woman is to feel beautiful. 

At every age. 

Every size.

In their favorite dress, 

Or plain-faced and straight out of bed.

Your beauty radiates from within, and is seen through that sparkle in your eyes, or the smile in a big, appreciative laugh. Your beauty is in how you carry yourself and how you treat others.

Feeling beautiful is a mindset that is meant to be lived from the inside…OUT.