I had the good fortune to travel around Brazil with my husband this past week. As we traveled, I learned two very important life lessons from the Brazilian women.
1) Be proud of who you are, but
2) Be realistic about who you are.
Brazilian women--regardless of shape, size or age--have one thing in common: they are all extremely comfortable in their skin. I believe this is one of the most important life lessons any woman can learn. We are constantly bombarded with pictures of what "beauty" is. These images cause us to look in the mirror and think that we are not thin enough, fit enough, stylish enough, sexy enough or beautiful enough. We constantly put ourselves down--make self-deprecating jokes, compare ourselves to our friends, compare ourselves to strangers--and, sadly, we always place our own assets last. Well, ladies, these Brazilian women have reminded me how far from the truth these images and thoughts are. We are all beautiful. It doesn't matter what we look like--every one of us has something beautiful about us. For some of us, it's not "traditional beauty"--it's our compassion, our intellect, our sense of humor, our thoughtfulness, our loyalty, our creativity--or any number of unique, desirable personality traits that each one of of us owns. For some of us, our beauty is outside--the perfect smile, great eyes, beautiful hair, a gorgeous body, flawless skin--you know, the things most of us put ourselves down for not having. And, then there are the great majority of us who have the lucky combination of being beautiful inside and out. We just tend to forget this fact about ourselves. So, ladies, we all need to be more like the Brazilian women and remember that we ARE beautiful, unique and amazing.
Now, the second lesson is just as important as the first. Now, why can I make the claim that Brazilian women--regardless of shape, size or age--have one thing in common: they are all extremely comfortable in their skin? Because Brazilian women--regardless of shape, size or age--have one thing in common: they all have a serious love of the thong bikini. (See photo below for proof!) While it is of utmost importance to be comfortable in your own skin and to be proud of who you are, it is just as important to be realistic about who you are. Yes--we are all beautiful. I do truly believe that. But, does that mean that we all look beautiful in a mini skirt? Leggings? Shapeless tunics? Absolutely not. There is a reason that clothing comes in different sizes, varieties and colors. Part of being comfortable in your own skin is learning how to be realistic about who you are as well--and being comfortable with that! Wearing clothing items that flatter your body instead of highlighting your flaws (because, honestly, even supermodels have flaws!) is an essential skill. You ever see those women who are too old to be wearing what they have on? They don't look young and glamorous--they look ridiculous. Ever see those women who wear clothing two sizes too small because they just can't admit that they've gained weight? Well, it doesn't make them look skinnier...it just highlights the fact that they haven't lost weight and that they are unwilling to be realistic about themselves. Part of being proud of who you are is in embracing your flaws and working with them. Dress to highlight your assets--you will look more beautiful, feel more beautiful and exude more confidence if you dress to impress! When you exude confidence, good things come your way. And, isn't that what we all want, anyway?
So, remember...
Be proud of who you are, but be realistic about who you are. If you keep those two concepts in mind, you will certainly find wonderful things coming your way!
Hopefully you, too, can embrace the life lessons I gained on my trip to Brazil!
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The Ladies of Brazil
(clockwise from top left:
three thongs poolside,
in her 50s (at least) and has no shame!,
thong...where no thong should go,
yup...they sell bikinis on the beach!) |
Happy New Year to all of our readers out there!
