Communicating Authentically

I saw the Barbie movie over the weekend, and it really struck a chord with me. 

In a previous post, I wrote about the society’s expectations of women in terms of expressing their anger. Barbie had a similar message, about all the impossible and contradictory things society expects of women and girls, and what we expect of ourselves. Those outdated beliefs aren’t helping men, either. In fact, the whole rigid-gender-role thing isn’t helping anyone, and it’s time to end it.

But that’s not the only reason it resonated. 

A year or so ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I am starting to realize that I have never really focused on my own health and physical wellbeing. When I was pregnant, I quit caffeine and alcohol and ate right to protect my babies, not myself. Once they were born and I weaned, I switched right back to my old habits. I’ve gone on innumerable diet and exercise kicks, but again, never for my physical wellness, but because I didn’t like the way I looked. I wanted to be thinner, not healthier. Other times, I simply gave up: I may be chubby, but until now, it didn’t stop me from doing anything I wanted to do, so I told myself, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Now it’s broken and I can’t eat sweets anymore, and I realize how often I’ve binged on cookies, candy, soda, cake, ice cream, etc. as an emotional refuge from hard times. It’s really difficult to change beliefs you adopted when everything around you was bitter and you decided that no matter what, you would always be able to have something sweet. Of course, this belief stopped serving me a long time ago, but the unhealthy habits remained. 

My body has continued to support me regardless. It’s done everything I’ve ever asked it to do: stayed up late, woke up early, lifted, stretched, walked, ran, and danced in high heels. It’s grown, nurtured and birthed two other humans. It’s survived horrific accidents with little more than scrapes and a few broken bones. It did gain extra pounds, but only because it had no choice. It’s not perfect, but throughout my life, it supplied me with the energy I needed to focus on what was important to me — independence; marriage; family; career; financial well-being; psychological well-being — and helped me to manifest what I wanted to create within those realms. My body is – as all bodies are – truly magical.

In return, I’ve treated my body like Weird Barbie: done questionable expiriments with hair and makeup, played with it too hard, bent it out of shape, called it names, but still expected it to support me no matter what.

So I’m channeling my inner Barbie and focusing my substantial powers of manifestation on loving my physical body. I’m going to stop treating it like the doll tossed in the back of the closet after I mutilated its hairdo and twisted its legs into permanent splits. I’m going to start treating my magical body like it fully deserves to be treated: with love, care, kindness, respect, and admiration. 

And a lot less sugar.