Remember those carefree summer days you experienced when you were younger? You weren’t worried about what your body looked like in your swimsuit or what anyone thought of you. You were in the moment — basking in the sun, jumping in the water, and laughing with friends and family. As a woman in today’s world, this may seem far from the reality you experience now, but we have the power to bring this back for one another. There is no reason any woman should go through the summer feeling like she can’t go to the beach because she is insecure about her body or that she can’t go on a hike because she has no one to go with. Let’s use the rest of this summer as an opportunity to empower the other women around us! Here are three ways you can do this:
Celebrate your body.
You’re not alone if summer feels extra challenging to practice body positivity. It can be tempting to want to cover up your legs to hide cellulite instead of wearing shorts, or wear a cover up at the beach to hide your tummy. One key to remember here is that we all have these insecurities. Rather than hiding them under extra layers of clothing, what if we all chose to celebrate our bodies and own our insecurities? Think about how you feel when you see a woman with curves rocking a sexy swimsuit, or a woman with a skin abnormality baring her skin confidently in a tank top. Doesn’t it make you want to celebrate her body with her, and make you wonder why you’re hiding your own insecurities? If we are going to empower one another as women, we have to be willing open ourselves up to the vulnerability of other women seeing our insecurities. And when we see other women proudly owning their uniqueness, we need to celebrate her!
Get outdoors together.
There’s something about getting outdoors and getting active, especially with a group of positive women, that feels so uplifting and inspiring! Tackling a challenge like a hike, mountain biking, or rafting can be a great boost of confidence and endorphins. Another reason we love getting outdoors together is it may inspire some women to get out of her comfort zone and try an activity she wouldn’t have been comfortable doing on her own. If you haven’t heard about our Womeness in the Wilderness events, this summer is a great opportunity to get involved! It’s completely free and open to all women. Each month we pick one outdoor activity to get outside and get moving together. It’s a great way to meet other women, get the blood and endorphins pumping, and uplift one another!
Congratulate each other.
Summer often comes with many celebrations – weddings, graduation parties, and baby showers… oh my! There is so much to celebrate, which opens up a huge opportunity to empower one another as women. Have you ever had a negative, jealous, or self-destructive thought go through your mind when you get invited to another wedding, but you’re still single? Or maybe you get invited to another baby shower, but you and your partner are struggling to start a family? It’s perfectly natural to feel this moment of disappointment or pain for whatever you are going through in your own life, but the key is to actively practice switching your mindset from one of jealousy or resentment to one of support and excitement for the other women in your life. With so many reasons to celebrate this summer, think of this as an opportunity to empower the other women in your life. Practice feeling true joy for the success and adventures for your fellow women, and they will be there cheering you on when it’s your moment to celebrate.
