Patricia O’Gorman, PhD
@drogorman
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www.patriciaogorman.com
“This is who I am and look at me not being perfect! I’m proud of that.”
—Kate Winslet
Girly thoughts are the way you internalize society’s messages about how you should look and should feel. They affect you on many levels, from the way you speak and write about yourself on Facebook and in emails and texts, to what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror.
Girly Thoughts’ Silent Impact
We can talk and talk about these negative messages and the toxic self-talk they foster, but sometimes words get in the way. Your girly thoughts are painful, and so are the ways you unconsciously try to change your body and your life to accommodate that toxic self talk.
Take 2 minutes and 25 seconds to watch this video of trainer and media sensation Cassey Ho illustrating how she tries to make her body and face perfect in response to negative comments about being fat.
What Would YOU Change?
Now have some fun. Write down three girly thoughts that came to mind as you watched this video, and then ask yourself if you:
- feel you are fat? If so, where? How would you change this?
- think your breasts are too small? Too large?
- worry your bottom is too big or too small?
- Do you feel your eyes aren’t perfect? If so why? How would you change them?
Now imagine if you could change all those things you don’t like about your appearance. When you think about the changed you, how does this make you feel? Do you feel sad like Cassey does?
Self-Acceptance—Go Rogue
What to do? How about accepting who you are?
- Exercise your body and eat healthily, and enjoy your body’s unique curves.
- Tell that girly thought that says your eyes are too small to take a hike.
- Enjoy the shape and size of your breasts.
Yes in this media age, self-acceptance is the ultimate rogue act—it says you don’t care about what they think! And you can have fun with sticking it to them and not playing along by feeling inadequate about yourself all the time.
- New York City, NY: May 17, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. “The Big Apple: Leadership and Girly Thoughts.”
- Worcester, MA: June 11, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. “Girly Thoughts and Addiction.”
- Lake Placid, NY: July 11, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Book signing at Bookstore Plus.
You’ll find more ideas for getting rid of your negative self-talk in my latest book, The Girly Thoughts 10-Day Detox Plan: The Resilient Woman’s Guide to Saying NO to Negative Self-Talk and YES to Personal Power