Posture on Both the Inside and Outside...

After today's great result weight-wise, I had to run some errands and decided to slap on some make-up and wear high-heels just to keep the good feeling. I need that from time to time, at work I'm always au naturel and in my uniform and at home I mostly wear sweats, hard to feel even slightly cute either way... So, make-up on, high-heels check and with a straight back and a good swagger I hit the mall. Turned quite a few heads, which only made me feel even better. But it also got me thinking about how much we can control how other people see us. I mean, if I can turn heads, then anyone can!!! Though I am well aware that the feeling has to come from inside you, confidence that comes from within makes you shine on the outside as well. And then there's posture. Very important! A straight back and a head held high works wonders with anyone's looks.
I saw a girl at the mall who tried to make herself almost invisible and I get so sad when I see that. But I know where it comes from, I've been there. I'm still there a lot of the time, because my good feeling is so easily taken away by one single snide comment or a disapproving look. And the fall from that is so much worse than if I hadn't felt good about myself first. I don't know what gives people the right to judge others by appearance alone and I've been a victim of it all my life, since I was 6 years old. I do sincerely hope that it fills a purpose for the one saying or doing all those mean things, because the scars run so deep. They never heal, no matter how far you get from it or what you may achieve on your way--they still echo in the back of your mind from time to time. I guess my hope is that by being this open with my weight and looks and such, I can help but a little. It's all I ask... To create just a little awareness in the minds of my wonderful readers. I know some of you have kids, and really that's where we have to start with everything. To make them understand the importance of being nice to others, even though you might not like them or you think that they look awful. Words hurt, and unlike some other scars, they don't show but that doesn't make them any less painful. It's not that I don't believe in honesty, but somethings better remain unsaid than spoken out loud...
I feel I will soon have to tell you my entire story as it is, but not today, I don't have the time to be that emotional... =) So, I will instead give you the before and after shots from last weeks hockey-night:

Before...

After!