“My Best 10”

This began as a facebook rant a while back and I decided I wanted to elaborate on it a little bit.

I was driving to work when I heard one of the most irritating ads I have heard in a while: “Come to my Best 10 in Bellevue! For women who want to be ten pounds lighter and look ten  years younger!”

There are so many things wrong with that statement that I’m having a hard time keeping my thoughts organized. I'm all about taking care of yourself, inside and out. And yes, this includes a healthy diet, exercising regularly, drinking lots of water, moisturizing, using sun block, not smoking, and the more-than-occasional alcoholic drink and indulgences in greasy, fatty food. I have absolutely NOTHING against gyms, spas and programs that offer facilities, services and programs for us to exercise, pamper ourselves and feel better about ourselves. I even briefly looked at “My Best 10’s” website, and it seems they have a pretty decent program that includes exercises, nutrition and spa treatments-- not bad!

I still, however, have a HUGE problem with them selling their services by basically saying that younger, lighter, and smaller are better. You know what? Go fuck yourselves.

Not all women are built equally. Women don’t become more beautiful when they lose weight or look younger. Women are beautiful, regardless of their shape or size. What makes them “more beautiful”? Being and feeling healthy. Confidence. Positivity. Self-love and self-respect. Being happy. Not simply “looking fit.”

Being physically healthy and fit is about infinitely more than losing weight. It’s about improving your blood flow, it’s about taking care of your heart, it’s about breathing, it’s about releasing endorphins, it’s about having a laugh at a zumba class, it’s about relaxing at yoga, it’s about encouraging others who are struggling in your free weights class, it’s about feeling the burn during kick-boxing classes, it’s about going on a hike, it’s about jogging outside... It’s about feeling alive. Your mind and your body are connected. You are in control of how far you push yourself. You are taking care of yourself. You are loving yourself. And you should enjoy it. Once you approach exercise as something you enjoy, two things will happen. First, you’ll notice you are having an easier time reaching your goals. Second, you might find that you are happier with yourself. Maybe then those extra 5 or 15 pounds won’t bug you. After all, weight is just a number.

You want to fit in a smaller dress size? You want to go back to the pant size you wore 4 or 10 years ago? By all means: go ahead and exercise or diet to achieve your goal. But do it because you WANT to, because it’ll make YOU feel healthier, and NOT because you think others will deem you more beautiful. Trust me, once you decide to exercise or diet for yourself, because YOU want to, because you will feel better and healthier, then all your excuses will magically disappear. You will find the time. You will make the time. You will succeed.  

So yeah, you wanna join “My Best 10”? Do it, but do it for the right reasons.

… but I still think they’re a bunch of douchebags for making beauty about weight and age*.

*I will be tackling the age issue in a future post

Welcome to Think. Love. Breathe.

This is a blog about life

...and not sucking at it.

No, this isn't a blog solely dedicated to complaining. There will be some ranting and raving, but mostly I will be sharing thoughts and ideas that I honestly believe can improve our lives and create a better world. At the core of all my suggestions on self-growth and improvement, you will find these three actions: Thinking, Loving, and Breathing. 


THINK
Stimulate your mind: learn something new, teach yourself something, read a book, keep a journal, take a class, go to a library, watch a documentary. Challenge yourself. Step outside of your comfort zone. Exercise your brain. (And NO, reading about stupid Kim Kardashian, or any other imbecilic celebrity, does NOT count).

Look within yourself, pay attention to how your words and actions affect others, both directly and indirectly. Put the fucking smartphone away, pay more attention, be more self-aware and be more considerate of others and your surroundings.

If we all spent more time THINKING (and less time texting) about our lives and our actions, we would live in a very different world.


LOVE
Practice love in all its forms. Be kind and polite to others, say "good morning/afternoon/evening", smile to strangers, donate your time and money, be selfless, be gentle to all life forms. Tell your family, friends and significant other that you love them often- they won't get tired of hearing it; and be appreciative of others who love you and show you kindness. Stop being a wasteful, consummerist tool, and spend more time loving the planet you live on. Be thankful. Be optimistic. Be patient. LOVE.


BREATHE
Look away from your computer. Put the phone down. Log out of Facebook. Rise above all the keyboard warriors and internet trolls fanning the flames of a pointless, stupid Twitter war. Actually step away from your desk during your break or lunch time. Go for a walk, however short it is, and take some deep breaths. Experience the world around you. 

Cut back on the news. Meditate. Turn off the lights and light a candle. Enjoy silence. Spend time with real people. Slow down, relax, disconnect. BREATHE.


Think. Love. Breathe.