ladies, are you bullying yourselves?

Earlier today, I wrote a pretty angry post, and I am so glad I didn't post it. I will probably go back and delete it later, but man--it felt good to get those feelings out.

I have been feeling pretty down on myself lately, and like most women, I am my own worst critic. The husband sent me out shopping after I brought Zoey home from her flu shot this evening, and even knowing I had money in my purse, I still couldn't find anything that struck my fancy. What is it about those mirrors & lighting that make my stomach stand out? It is the mirrors, right? RIGHT? (I did, however, find some jeans at White House Black Market. Those girls always put together the cutest stuff.)

Why, at a size 6, do I feel like the fat girl in the "group" (and that's putting it lightly). A size 6 is below average. I should feel pretty damn good after having 2 kids in 15 months. I keep asking myself: Am I huge? Is everyone else abnormally tiny? Are the sizes in my pants wrong?

That's why I'm asking all of you, right now, to make an effort with me to stop being so hard on ourselves. Ladies, let's stop the criticism. No more pointing out your flaws, even if you're trying reeeeeally hard to get a compliment from a friend. You know your thighs are non-existent, so why do you need to bully yourself to hear your friends say it? It is going to be a conscious effort on my part, and I assume many of us do this without even thinking about it.

"um... i have bad breath in the morning?"

Look in the mirror before you go to bed tonight (or when you wake up today). Smile. Big--not too big, that's scary. Repeat after me: "I am beautiful. How the hell else would I have these kids if someone didn't think I was hot? [ ;) Okay, maybe not everyone needs to repeat that] I am beautiful." Now let's hold those shoulders high and focus on the positive.

"Doggone it, people like you!"