The kind of woman I'd want my daughter to be.

You're so mean when you talk about yourself; you are wrong
Change the voices in your head; make them like you instead
-- Pink

I was really struck by Dea's blog post tonight, and it got me thinking about the voices we hear in our heads, especially as women. We're bombarded by constant messages from society to have the perfect bodies, houses, skin, hair, lives. If we don't look like the pictures in the magazines, we're nothing. Every "flaw" gets shoved under a microscope, and sometimes all the wonderful things about ourselves get overlooked in the name of chasing perfection that doesn't exist. We hear this endless litany of not-good-enough everywhere we go, from the ads on television to the glares of coworkers we pass in the hallway. But for many of us, myself included, the worst voice of all comes from the inside.



Enemies take what we need and sell well-worn lies
I am my own worst of these. I can't say why.
-- Shannon Curtis

Tonight I wanted to make this post to encourage you not to believe the lies that you hear every day that tell you there's something wrong with your coworker, your friend, your fellow blogger, the woman standing next to you at the bus stop. The same lies that tell you there's something wrong with you. I think that many of these lies are constructed by society to keep us from moving forward as women. Divide us, and you conquer us. Turn us against each other, and the world that has worked against us for so long will win. I have struggled for years with the lies in my head, as I'm sure many of you have, and in the past year or so I have begun to make a conscious effort to fight them. I have my off days, and there's still a long road ahead, but the change it's brought both inside and out has been amazing.







Anthropologie Budding Romance Skirt
Talbot's cardigan
Old Navy tee
Softwalk shoes
Necklace: gift from my sister

I put on this very feminine outfit to show that there are all kinds of strength and all kinds of beauty. There is strength in being true to yourself and in dressing to reflect that. I will not let the world assign a set of labels to me based on how I dress. I command respect both from the world and from myself, flowy skirts and all. I hope that this post helps all the women who may be reading this to silence that ever-present voice that seems to haunt all of us. No matter how you express yourself, remember that I am on your side. The world isn't always kind to us as women, but I hope you remember that we're in this together.

I am a woman. There is nothing wrong with me. I am not going anywhere.

I'm gonna be my own best friend. Stick with me till the end. -- Jewel