Self-Empowerment Day

Oh, happy day!

*****************************************************************

 Emily

This picture was taken on an evening when I wasn't going any where special, I just thought I looked super cute and decided to take a picture of myself.  I told someone that once and they laughed at me....so I'm glad to have this Self-Empowerment Day as an outlet to talk about it. :)  This picture has become one of my favorites of myself.  My hair was just beginning to get longer (I'm actually thinking of cutting it back to this length just because of the awesomeness of this picture) and I was at a point in my life when I was truly happy with most aspects of my life (body image, work, social life, spiritual life).  I think that is written all over my face....I really like my smile....not just in this picture, but in general.  I think it's one of my best features.  The scarf....I LOVE scarves!  I also love the color of the scarf and how it is a great complimentary color to the green shirt.  I feel like I just got the outfit coordinating right on with this one. :)  One last thing...I really like the happiness in my eyes in this picture.  I never noticed ever in my life before I took this picture that one of my eyes is a different shape than the other one.  Life lesson: Examining myself is SO important to me because what I sometimes see as a flaw at first (i.e. differently shaped eyes) often becomes something I lovingly embrace about myself.

*****************************************************************

 Megan

I love the shape of my face, the shape of my nose, the color of my eyes that are a myriad of colors, the length of my eyelashes, the curve of my hips, the fact that I can't stop giggling once I get started.

*****************************************************************

Rachel

If I could look any one way for my whole life, I would want to look like this. I love the color and style of my hair. It's like waves of chocolate cascading down my face. I love that smile. It's subtle and sweet. Like I have a secret. I love the shirt I'm wearing. it's one of my favorites, always fits me well. I think, though, that my favorite feature is the shine in my eyes. It looks like something you would photoshop in. Overall, I love the me I see in this picture and I know I have her in me all the time.

*****************************************************************

Kathy

I love to be impulsive. I was too terribly hot on Easter afternoon and instead of turning on the air conditioner, I soaked my hair and tied a wet bandana around my neck. So here in this photo my hair is all tousled and I’m feeling quite cool, thank you very much. I love my smile and my dimples, especially in this photo, (usually I’m too frozen to like my smile).  I love with how I am flirting with the viewer, daring you to be impulsive, too.

*****************************************************************

 

 

Meagan

(left)

I like this picture.  I think, layered scarfs aside, that it looks natural and relaxed.  I really like my face...I've been told I'm beautiful and now I'm starting to believe it.  I learning to embrace that I am beautiful and powerful and worth loving.  Thanks, Amy, for the opportunity to put that into words.

*****************************************************************

Eric

 I take pleasure in this photo as it represents a transition in life for me.  It is a time of bringing back great happiness to a place where it was lacking.  I enjoy my rounded teeth and slightly crooked smile, a bit imperfect but sincere.  I also love my curly hair and sideburns.  It says you can be fun and yet professional.  I am grateful for my eyes as well, piercing with a blue that seems to phase depending on my surroundings.  It is an authentic picture, without any flash or distractions.  The self-portrait is of me as a fresh person, ready for life’s next leg.  

*****************************************************************

  Becky

Curls curls curls curls curls. They are soft, bouncy, crazy, laid back, happy, fuzzy, comforting and they probably reflect who I am more now than they ever have. I've made good friends with them and I let them be what they are and love them for it. Same goes for myself. I like my crow's feet! And they are getting more prominent all the time. The are my "tattoo" of my smile, which I wear a lot, and I love that about me.I like my eyes. When I don't feel my age and I think that I have not lived or experienced much, my eyes say something different. All the knowledge and life lessons I have acquired can be seen there. They are inviting and comforting and sparkle when I'm feeling sassy. :)

*****************************************************************

 

  Amy

 

Emotions. They play across my face: I can't help it, I can't control it, and I don't want it to go away! I love emotions. I've tried to hide them, but then I just end up feeling...ugh. So, I live in them. I can go from laughter to tears, from sorrow to joy, from peaceful to impatient. I get frustrated. I feel homesick. I get excited. I feel silly. I cry watching movies and tv shows (Project Runway, anyone?). I laugh reading books. And I giggle...oh, I giggle. Life is full of different experiences and I want to live them all through my fully-emotive being.

*****************************************************************

Michelle
(right)

I like this picture. I always used to think my nose was too big and it curved up too much like snobby girls, but in this picture it looks nice. My eyes are my favorite feature: hazel, although you can't tell it in this picture, and I like that I'm not looking at the camera. I think I look thoughtful, in a silly way, and I like that combination. I also like the way my hair looks here. Plus, I really like how silly Meagan looks contrasted with how serious I am. This photo captures a piece of me. A piece I like.

*****************************************************************

James

In this photo I see everything good about who I have become over a lifetime of experience.  I buzzed my hair a few weeks ago and I have fallen in love with my new, simple, masculine look, complete with the unshaven face that makes me smile when I notice it in the mirror.  What is it about scruff that makes me so happy?  Unknown.  The hint of a smile is a one-gesture summation of nearly every moment of my life—what would it be without a constant hint of happiness, laughter, joy, absurdity, and even impishness?

*****************************************************************

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this first (of many?) Self-Empowerment Day! I really appreciate it! We can say kind things to each other, but how incredible is it to say those kind things to ourselves? Take a moment to tell yourself why you're amazing.

By sharing the beauty we see within ourselves, we
can inspire others to see beauty within themselves. 

Embrace your ability to see yourself as 
the gorgeous human being you are.

(And if you want to share that here...just shoot me an email and I'll add it to this post!)