Perfection is just make-believe

We all want things to be good. Actually, we want things to pretty much be perfect. But as you know, perfection is not real. It's simply an idea that was created to drive you crazy. So give it up! You have no use for it.

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In a world with so much pressure to be THE best, it's easy to lose sight of what's important to us. Treat yourself and your body with the respect it deserves, and strive to be YOUR best. That is what will make you happy.

In honor of yourself today, take a break when you need it, smile when you see your beautiful self in the mirror, take joy in a little me-time, and allow yourself to have some fun!

VOGUE

We spend a lot of time talking about the negative aspects of the media. Because there are quite a few of them. 

But there are some moves in the right direction. Vogue Italia Editor in Chief Franco Sozzani (the Anna Wintour of Italy) recently started a petition against Pro-Ana/Pro Mia (bulimia) "thinspo" blogs.


Vogue also is launching 'The Health Initiative' across 19 of their international publications as a is a pact between the magazines' editors to encourage a healthier approach to body image within the industry.

 "Vogue believes that good health is beautiful. Vogue editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the wellbeing of their readers."

-Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of Vogue publisher Condé Nast International

 The pact agrees to not work with models that have eating disorders, are underaged, and encouraging designers to consider how they do their sample sizing. (read all 6 agreements here)

Perhaps this marks the beginning of a new time for the fashion industry, With companies like CLEANSE promoting wellness to models worldwide.  Curves for a Change promotes philanthropy and body image for models of all sizes. And let's  not forget Model Alliance which promotes fair working conditions for models. (it's a ridiculously tough work environment)

We at Guiltless certainly think this is a step in the right direction by the fashion industry. What do you think?

Surround Yourself with Happiness and Love this Weekend

Happy May Weekend! It's going to be a lovely one!

Surrender and Release

When I was young, I had these angel cards that were sort of like tarot cards, but without all the gloom and doom. When I was feeling down, I would sift through these cards and pull out three randomly, and these three choices were supposed to represent what was happening in my life at the time.

There was always one that stuck out in my mind: the "Surrender and Release" card. The card meant that whatever I was holding on to that was causing me stress or pain needed to be let go.

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We tend to bury stress and clutch to the things that cause us emotional harm. I don't know why. Maybe it's because we think we'll have time to deal with it later or maybe it's because we think the longer we let it just sit there, the smaller it will get. But these are false notions.

Stress can manifest it's self in very inconvenient and harmful ways. In fact, look at the word "disease." It is "dis - ease." The connection between stress and disease is a well researched topic and is a connection I firmly believe exists. So whatever is causing you stress right now, surrender and release it. Acknowledge the things in your life that don't seem to be working. Allow yourself to understand their existence, and accept it for what it is. Then, take a deep breath, surrender your stress to the world around you and release whatever it is that's weighing you down.

Be well, and enjoy the day.

Not Buying It

Saw this lovely ad in a magazine and it was all I could do not to scream.

Because I never deserve a treat. Nope I should really just treat myself to nothing. The unspoken implications are unbelievable. yes i realize they mean "nothing" in the sense of the 0 calorie, artificial sweetener, artificial flavor, artificial coloring, gelatin dessert. But nothing also implies that I never deserve to eat a piece of dark chocolate, a slice of birthday cake, or god forbid some ice cream! Some days I may want jello, and that's fine. But there are also a lot of days where I would like something else.

Jello you can't make me feel guilty about my treats. nice try though.

I'm not buying it.

How Does Beauty Feel?

A question for the weekend:

 

via @Sir Richards

What if we asked ourselves;

"what does beauty feel like?
Instead of, what does beauty look like?"

Your long term relationship with food

Food gives us life and allows us to grow. But for many, it's a source of despair and uncertainty. The battle between body image and food is one that's rarely talked about, yet it's extremely common. For some, it's simply a feeling of guilt over an indulgence, leaving you feeling like you're in some sort of debt. Like if you eat a cookie, it means you need an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill or dietary restrictions for the next few days. For others who suffer from eating disorders, it's a matter of life and death.

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But aside from the relationship you have with your inner self, the longest relationship you will ever have is the one with food. And just like in any relationship, you're at risk of taking your partner for granted and forgetting to love and appreciate them. So next time you sit down at the table, be thankful for the food that gives you life & happiness and remember how much love is there.

If you or someone close to you is suffering from this battle, there is help out there that can help repair relationships with food. Nothing happens overnight, but there is a way to learn how to love food again.