LISA | THIS IS ME

When we are little girls we are taught that we are only beautiful when we are thin and tall and have long hair and perfect skin. This can impact how we see ourselves, For some, this impact is not so bad, and for others it is a piece of baggage that is carried throughout life.

Sadly for Lisa, it impacted her as a 7 year old girl in a negative way . She was taught big was bad and “this still impacts me today,” she told me. She has worked through, and is still dealing with the consequences in eating disorders.

And, as if this was not enough pressure on herself, when she was unable to breast feed exclusively after having c-sections, she began to resent her body. This is something I have heard from several mothers after feeling from society that they are somehow less because they can’t breast feed.

Lisa wanted to participate in the This Is Me Series because:

“My greatest hope is that I can become a positive body image role model for my daughter and son.”

Lisa admits that she still struggles with how she looks. She says, “as I get older there is a guilt that I haven’t ‘sorted myself out’ and become thin and healthy, and there’s always the pressure to fit in. I’d love to feel beautiful.”

I wanted to make that possible for Lisa. So we designed a photo shoot to express her beauty and power and strength - all her aspects.

I have asked all the participants what their favourite NON-physical feature is about themselves, after all, beauty is not only on the outside. I loved Lisa’s response because it resonated so much with me, and after meeting her I can see how true it is. She responded: “My compassion. I love listening to others and helping them through difficult times.”

Some words of advice for others struggling with their own beauty from Lisa:

Don’t measure your worth in the mirror, look for it in the smile you bring to your children’s faces, the look of longing in your partner’s eyes, the laugh or hug of a friend. These are the reflections of your soul’s beauty.”