Imagine yourself...

You know what I'm sick and tired of? Women (no matter their shape or size) hating their body. I have a friend that constantly says things like: "I don't like wearing swimsuits in front of men." or "I would look so much better if I was just 5 pounds lighter." Why do we do this to ourselves?? Why do we let ourselves look in the mirror and destroy what's truly unique to us all? Why do we let the media tell us that we're not pretty enough or skinny enough? Well this is what I say to that...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I chose a long time ago to love me and I mean ALL of me. Every hill and valley, every thigh dimple, every acne scar, every bad hair day, everything. Elder Holland once counseled to the young women by saying:

"I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not!... We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size."

So here I make the same pleading to all of you: love yourself, for you are unique. Love everything about yourself that you cannot change, and change only the things that are unhealthy. Here I've included some pictures of models and celebrities who are constantly breaking the Hollywood mold. These women are famous for being different...that is something to celebrate.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Nikki Blonsky. She is the star in Hairspray and the TV show Huge. They took this picture of Nikki and the next day she found it on billboards everywhere. Miss Blonsky could have freaked out and apologized for her curvy ways, but she didn't. Mad props Miss Nikki.

Paparazzi took a photo of Tyra Banks and photoshopped her to make her larger. Then, in an effort to turn this into a giant scandal, they posted it all over the National Enquirer. What this magazine never anticipated was what happened next:

Tyra Banks went on her talk show and started the "So what? Campaign". She even appeared on her show in the same bathing suit and posed next to a cutout of the photoshopped pictures. Instead of denying that this was her body and being ashamed, she declared to the entire nation...So what? So what if she really looked like that picture? Does being curvy make her less smart, less beautiful, or less successful? No, and that's why People magazine did a cover and spread on the lovely Tyra. She wore that red tube top bathing suit and posted her weight, (161 pounds) and then made an episode on her show where everyone in the audience donned a red tube top with their weight planted on their chest.

Miss Tyra made huge waves with this "So what?" movement and made the media coward away with their tail between their legs. She even warned these salacious magazines that they can "kiss my fat a$$". Thanks Tyra for sticking it to the man.

Whitney is Cycle 10 winner on America's Next Top Model. She is the first plus size model to win the competition. There have been many plus size model contestants who have competed on the show but halfway through, they let the other models' size get to them, their confidence wavers, their pictures fail, and they are sent home. Miss Whitney never faltered, never wavered, and never lost her confidence. To this day she still holds the title of the only plus size model to win. Go Whitney!

Laura Stone is one of the biggest names in the fashion world today. She is know for her bigger bust (albeit tiny waist), voluptuous hips, and a big gap in her teeth. She is praised, nay, worshiped! for her quirky teeth and womanly curves. You can see her in every fashion magazine anywhere from Vogue to Marie Claire and Elle to Vanity Fair. Brava Miss Stone for daring to be different.

Just to prove that I'm just as secure with myself as any of these gorgeous celebrities, I'm including a picture of myself in my cute new bathing suit. I love me, and I hope that maybe this blog will inspire you to love yourself too.

Be your own beautiful!

Liz