The Worst of the Worst!

Sadly, in our society we think the worst of the worst about people. 

Pick any social, religious, economic, or ethic group and chances are, the picture in our minds of that group will be the worst of the worst. For example...

- All Muslims = terrorists 

- All white girls = snobby

- All blonds = stupid

- All Christians = close minded

-  All Hispanics = illegal immigrants
- All women = can't drive
Do you know the worst part about this? Those stereotypes are NOT true for the large majority of the group. As a matter of fact, it's usually a small percentage of the group that gives the entire group a bad name! We judge groups of people based on what we know from our friends, family, and media. We tend to see certin groups of people and judge them right away. It's not always a "mean thing" either, sometimes it's just natural. How do we fix that? We learn about others!  

What about the word feminist? There are so many people (men AND women) that freak out every time they hear that word. I have never seen people run and hide from a word so strongly before. When people think of feminists they think of

- man hating

- not shaving 

- bra burning

- angry
- crazy
those characteristics are just as untrue as the stereotypes mentioned above. Could there be a feminist who possesses one, some, or ALL of these qualities? Sure! However, that does not mean that to be a feminist you NEED to have the qualities mentioned above. I know girls that don't want to call themselve feminsts because they think of the negative stereotype that goes with the word. Understandably so! Who would want to be associated with something negative? But we have to remember that being a feminist isn't skin deep.

According to Webster's dictionary a feminist = advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.

But what a lot of people don't understand, is that being a feminist is different for everyone.
So, how can I prove this to you? I'm going to open my heart up, and tell you why I consider myself a feminist, because for me being a feminist goes a LOT deeper then the simple definition above. 
This is why G4G and Tinamarie identify with being feminists...

1. I believe that ALL girls are strong, and have outstanding inner strength
2. I believe that ALL girls are powerful 
3. I believe that ALL girls have the intelligence make good choices
4. I believe that ALL girls are MORE than something to look at
5. I believe that ALL girls should be in safe and healthy relationships
6. I believe that ALL girls are beautiful
7. I believe that ALL girls should be treated with respect
8. I believe that ALL girls are royalty because our Father is King of Kings (Revelations 17:14)

Every girl out there will have a different idea of what it means to be a feminist

that's why feminism is so awesome!

**Maybe the next time it comes up you can say, "I'm a feminist because I believe that {insert your own definition here}." 

*G4G is also a podcast at http://www.spreaker.com/dashboard/show/309405?tab=episodes

*G4G does not take any credit for this photo. 

Dear Society

Dear Society,

       How are you? I'm not doing so great since I have to write you this letter. I think there are somethings that you need to know. I think that we could get along much better, if your just hear me out. I know somethings that are going to be said might offend you Society, but if we are every going to get through this, we are going to have to hash this out. 

      Firstly Society, you messed up the definition of a woman. Being a woman does not mean that we are beautiful on the outside. Being a woman means we're strong and beautiful on the inside; right where it counts. Society, you use the media as a way to stereotype us, and lie to us about our worth as women. Sure, one inappropriate ad doesn't sound like it will be damaging, but what happens when we see the same false, superficial standard of beauty for years and years and years???? What happens when you portray women as sex objects in movies and TV shows for years and years?? Society, sadly we have started to believe you and your lies, but we're NOT going to take it anymore! 

     Secondly Society, I can't take this "perfect body" thing anymore. You tell girls that are small framed and skinny that they don't have enough curves, or big enough boobs. Yet, you tell bigger girls that they are fat. Have your forgotten that doctors decide what a healthy weight is? You don't have the power to decide what a "good weight" is! We are TIRED of listening to what you have to say about our bodies!! If there is a girl out there, who is naturally super skinny, G4G and all of our members are going to  support her in who she is. If there is a girl out there whose not built small, G4G and all our members, are going support her in who she is too! Society, my body is a temple, and I will respect it. 

    Society, you tell women that we have to be perfect. You tell us we have to be dumber then our man, but smarter than every other girl. You tell us that we are sex objects. You tell us that if we need to have sex to please/keep a boyfriend.You tell us we have to look like your version of a "perfect 10", and act like your version of perfect girl. AND if we don't, you say we need to change. You say we need to change our noses with sugary. You say we need to get a boob job if we're flat chested. You say we need a tummy tuck to reach those "perfect abs." You tell us to buy beauty products, diet pills, and other products because we need to achieve YOUR standard of beauty. 
This ends today.
     Society, G4G, and the members of G4G are TAKING A STAND! Here at G4G we know that to beat you, and to REALLY make a change in this world for girls and women everywhere, we have to change ourselves first, and our way of thinking about ourselves first! To take a stand against your standards Society, we are going to...

1. Love ourselves EXACTLY as we are! Self improvement is a positive thing when it comes from wanting to be the best version of ourselves possible, in the healthiest mental/physical/emotional way possible!
2. Start valuing personality traits above looks in ourselves and others!
3. Stop comparing ourselves to others!
4. Start positive self talk EVERYDAY! We are going to counteract negative talk with positive talk. Every time you think something negative about yourself, say THREE positive things about yourself! :) 

Society, I know things can get better. I have faith that G4G, and the members of G4G can help. Change will come with time, love, hope, and persistence.

Love,

G4G and Tinamarie 
P.S Society, don't forget...You're Beautiful!!! 

 Do you want to be a G4G member?!??!?

 You can...

-become a member of our blog!

- like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/G4G/268873239847616

- e-mail us at g4gyourebeautiufl1@gmail.com 

- follow us on Twitter at @G4Gurbeautiful 

- listen to each post as a podcast at http://www.spreaker.com/user/g4gyourebeautiful/dear_society

Dismemberment

One of my beautiful lovely friends, Chelsea Evanyke, wrote me on Facebook and inspired this next post! To all of you who wrote in, either by Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/G4G/268873239847616) or e-mail, THANK YOU SO MUCH! G4G HAS been inspired by you, and we are are most CERTAINLY going to be using your input in the upcoming weeks! Thank you SO MUCH for writing in!!!! Keep it coming!!!

Dismemberment.

     What is the first image that pops into your head when you hear that word? If you're like me, you might have pictured a scene from Criminal Minds or CSI; and in the world of media, the word dismemberment means almost the same thing as it does in crime scene shows...well sort of. 

According to Kacey D. Greening's Research Journal, The Objectification and Dismemberment of Women in the Media, dismemberment is defined as 

"ads [that] focus on one part of the body." 

In other words, dismemberment is an advertisement that shows women not as whole people, but as individual body parts. For example...

or

In BOTH of these ads, you don't even see their heads; they're just cleavage. These women are not shown as complete people, they are shown as just a body part. They are just a chest. What kind of message is that sending?

It's sad, but these are the types of messages we are surrounded by. We are immersed in messages that scream, "YOU'RE NOT A PERSON, YOU'RE AN OBJECT...well at least a small piece of an object!" There was a lot of research done by Media€t Valuesin from Erving Goffman's Gender Advertisements on the topic of dismemberment in advertising. One quote that really stuck out to me was when they stated,

 "The hidden message is, if a woman has great legs, who cares who she is?"

That's exactly the problem; The message that these ads are sending is damaging. These ads say, "Who cares about who you are as a person? You're nothing more than a full chest." 

 

But do you know that the WORST part of dismemberment is? I can honestly say that I want to cry right now thinking about this, but in today's society, being known or noticed  because of a body part alone is a compliment. Being known as the "hot girl with the big boobs" is not an insult to our personalities, and our brain's...it's a compliment. That's what bothers me the most. 

I think that a lot of ad's focus on our boobs, butts, waistlines, and legs. Eventually we start trying to prefect those body parts because, we start to believe that those parts are the things that give us worth. How are we supposed to have a strong sense of self-worth when we are told that we are not whole individuals with thoughts, feelings, ideas, and hearts, but legs, butts, and boobs? How can we have self-worth if we see ourselves as just a bit of something? It's like being an amazing cake, but feeling like a crumb. If we see ourselves as separate pieces, and then divide out bodies mentally into sections, we won't be or feel whole. We won't see ourselves as whole people. 

You are a WHOLE person. Don't let ANY advertisement, message, or person ever tell you other wise. You are MORE then a stereotypical photoshopped body. Do you want to know why you're more than that? Because you're a whole person. Being whole means seeing yourself entirely. Being whole means knowing that you're not something to look at, but something to be treasured and loved. This week maybe we can stop seeing ourselves as segmented body parts, but as whole, entire, and complete women. 

**This post is ALSO a podcast!! Check it out at http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/user/g4gyourebeautiful/dismemberment

 

Picture taken off Google Images, G4G does NOT take credit for any photos.   

Kacey D. Greening, 
Capital University: The Objectification and Dismemberment of Women in the Media

://www.kon.org/urc/v5/greening.html

Research by Media€tValuesin tern BarbieW hite

from Erving Goffman's Gender Adaertisements,HarperC olophonB ooP(a1 979).

Make a Difference!

I am so excited for this post today!!! I am excited because a wonderful, beautiful, and strong woman named Sarah was courageous, and wanted to share her story to help build the G4G community support system! Thank you so much Sarah for sharing this touching story with us; it is truly inspiring. 

 

"One of my biggest fears as a mother is that my children will grow up with the same extremely low sense of self worth that I have struggled with for as long as I can remember. It took me a very long time, and a lot of reprogramming to start to see myself as having strengths, let alone some value as a person. But how could I go about teaching my kids to have something I didn't even know how to have myself?

The answer just fell into my lap. My 3 year old daughter was watching my mother put on make up. When they were done, she came proudly into the kitchen batting her eyes so I could see her glittery eye shadow and blowing kisses so I could see her lip gloss. She told me that they were wearing make up so they could be beautiful. I told her that they were already beautiful and were wearing makeup to feel glamorous. Whenever something like this happened (a new headband, some nail polish, new shoes) and my daughter said that now she was beautiful I reminded her that she was already beautiful, and these things made her look sparkly, or feel happy. I didn't even notice when she stopped saying it. A few days ago we were in the car driving towards her school (she is now 4 1/2) and my son (who is 2 1/2) told me he liked my hat, and now I looked beautiful. My daughter piped up from the very back of the van and said, like it was very obvious, that I didn't need a hat to be beautiful. I was beautiful anyways. I thanked her and tucked that little moment away into my heart. Apparently she's been listening all along."
You can make a difference. Honestly, every time you try to bring somebody's spirit up, (whether that be a loved one, or a stranger) you ARE making a difference. I think that we sometimes feel that to help someone: grow, heal, learn, or make a positive change, we have to walk on water, and control lighting bolts with our hands; but that's not true. 

It's the little things you do and say, that truly  make an impact.  

Mother Teresa once said, "Do little things with great love." We need to remember when it comes to building up the girls and women in our lives, it's the little things that count. 

- NEVER underestimate how powerful a note that says, "I think you're awesome!" in a locker or lunch box can be

-NEVER underestimate how powerful a drive by compliment of "Hey, I thought your presentation in class was really good!" can be

-NEVER underestimate how powerful a, "You know, I think you're a really great person. I just thought I'd share that with you." can be 

Yes, sometimes it's a little awkward to say things like that. Yes, sometimes people don't alway respond how we want them to, but when you say those things, or write those things, you are building someone up. YOU are changing the world for the better. 

Love someone; that way, they can see how to love themselves.

     

Philippians 2:13

 "For it is God who works in you, to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

**Do YOU have a story to share about self-worth, self-love, self-respect, bullying, or body image? If you do, please feel free to e-mail your story to g4gyourebeautiful1@gmail.com OR message G4G on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/G4G/268873239847616?ref=tn_tnmn

**This blog also brought to you on podcast http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/user/g4gyourebeautiful/make_a_difference

Mom's Lullaby Started a Movement

"You are very special, there's no one quite like you,

created by the Master, God made you to be you.

You are very special exclusively designed. 

You are very special, and I'm so glad your mine,

You were hand made by God. He fashioned your heart,

you were hand made by God, unique in all your ways.

You were hand made by God. 

He knew you from the start."

I am a very lucky girl. My beautiful mom used to sing me that song every night before I went to sleep for years (and the night before I went to college). It was my song. I wanted to share this little lullaby with you because it had such a big impact on my life, and I hope that it can touch your heart too. 

As we grow up we begin to forget how special we are. It's almost like somehow the

love we have for ourselves gets ripped right out of us. 

It's like being special is a "kid thing."Somehow we forget that how unique and exceptional we are. Those positive thoughts seem to be drowned out, and I think this might be because we have this urge, this undying need to fit in. 

We sometimes forget that our hair is beautiful, our eyes are amazing, our body is a temple. 

I think that are a few reasons we forget how wonderful we are. I feel that there is something to be said about the 3,000-5,000 advertisements we see as American women everyday, the type of sexually explicit TV and we tend to watch/listen to, and the way we as women treat or are in competition against one another. 

Whatever the reason is, it's relentless. Advertisers are relentless in what they will put out there to get us to buy stuff. Mean girls are relentless in their attacks, and comments. TV is relentless in what they will air. 

This means that we have to be relentless too! 

So let's start a   m o v e m e n t. 
No, I'm serious...let's start a movement. Let's MOVE towards the light, let's MOVE towards feeling beautiful, let's MOVE towards being joyful, and letting Jesus fill us up inside. Let us MOVE towards peace, and healing. Start a movement today! How do we do that?!? We can start a movement by reminding, reinforcing, and leading by example. 
Just like my moms simple lullaby started a movement in my life. That song was relentless for good in my heart.    
Never underestimate the little things, because they tend to mean the most.   
Remind your daughter or sister that she's beautiful INSIDE and out. Show her how to love herself by example. This will reinforce positive values that she's going to see from her biggest, strongest role model...you!  Remind you cousin that she is worth so much to you by sending her a quick text, or call her up. Remind you mom how special she is when you see her. Remind your aunt how positive and strong she is. Maybe write a note saying, "You're so awesome! I love ya!" and stick it in a friends locker.
That starts a movement in their hearts.
If we want change, it begins with us. 
It begins with you. 
Start a movement! 


*How are YOU going to start a movement?!?!?!
Remember, by the grace of God how powerful you are! 
"Do little things with great love." ~Mother Teresa 


This posting is also a podcast if you would like to check it out at http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/user/g4gyourebeautiful/mom_s_lullaby_started_a_movement


*Thanks mom and Aunt Sue!