I Am Brave and Beautiful

There is a movement worldwide by bloggers in response to Colbie Caillat’s song and video, Try.  This song is a beautiful song about being yourself, not creating yourself to please others, and to love yourself just the way you are.  In response to this, bloggers around the world are sharing what they “really” look like without makeup, contacts, or hair being styled.  As Colbie’s song says, “Take your make up off.  Let your hair down… Look into the mirror at yourself, Do you like you?  Cause I like you…”

The world demands too much of women and girls.  There is this push to be skinny, beautiful, successful, and always perfect.  If you are not a size 0, then you are “bad” and “fat” and “ugly”.  But, you know what?  Just the size, shape and way you are not is perfect.  You are perfect.  We need to stop the hype and help girls understand that as long as they like themselves, the rest doesn’t matter.  Because, guess what… if you aren’t happy with how you look now at whatever size, shape and age you are, you will never be happy with yourself.

You don’t have to try so hard.  You don’t have to give it all away.  You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up.  You don’t have to change a single thing.

So, are you ready to see the “real” me?  The brave and beautiful me?  The me that has stretch marks, scars, freckles, and is overweight?  The me that earned every one of those “badges” of honor by carrying twins full term and delivering two healthy babies?

I will never be a size 0.  I may never be “beautiful” by media’s standards.  But, I am me.  And, I am brave and beautiful just the way I am.

I look in the mirror and I like me.

If you want to join in on the I Am Brave And Beautiful movement, just take your picture sans makeup and hashtag it #IAmBraveAndBeautiful.

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Julia is the divorced mom of twins, a blogger, a sometimes crafter, crazy snailmailer, and a corporate bean counter. In her "spare" time, she scrapbooks, travels, makes cards, blogs, designs jewelry, searches for missing cleats and pom poms, enjoys good dark chocolate, and sneaks naps.