In part one of Why Am I Blogging I spoke on the issue of shame. You can read about that and my fight against shame and how doing something that makes you uncomfortable (like blogging) can bring about that feeling here. But, on the other end of the spectrum, blogging makes me feel empowered. It makes me feel free and I want you to experience freedom, too!
One of the focuses of not only my blog, but my work, is body image. I have a passion for positive body image due to the massive damage the media has brought into girl’s and women’s lives – myself included. We are so bombarded with images and expectations that are impossible to live up to. Women are attacked with weapons of shame and fear and I am so committed to speaking truth into these lies! I have had the privilege of working as a therapist for the past 20 years. I have been on the front lines with girls and women who have faced sexual trauma, violence, depression, severe anxiety, abandonment and unspeakable loss. One of the places of common ground that emerges from these issues is always a compromised sense of who we are as women and how we perceive ourselves and our bodies. I have yet to meet a woman who has not, at some point in her life, experienced a distorted, unhealthy sense of her body. This struggle takes so many shapes, but in extreme cases can be so severe, so restrictive and controlling that it leads to death.
My hope is that by talking honestly about this issue and by uncovering the shame and fear, we can walk together into a place of Freedom!
I would love for us to take back the ground the enemy has stolen from us. This is not an issue that will go away without a fight (and, in fact, it progressively gets more insidious and destructive in our society). I want my two-year-old granddaughter to grow up in a different world than I did; a world where she is celebrated for her uniqueness, where she walks in beauty and power no matter what she looks like or what size she is, where she is not bound by Shame and Fear. I want her to be the Warrior Princess that God created her to be.
So I’m blogging to speak truth. I’m blogging to be a slayer of the Dragons of Shame and Fear. I hope you, too will become the Warrior Princess God has created you to be and will join me in the battle towards freedom and positive body image!
Dee Dee,
You, my dear Warrior Princess, are making a difference in many women’s lives and for that I thank you. As a woman who has experienced shame from my life experiences, I can honestly say that the lies are many and we must stop them once and for all. I pray that women can find and hear the truth and become empowered as Warrior Princesses who make a difference.
Thank you so much Pam! You are a true Warrior Princess in every way!! Your courage, humor and beauty bring light and inspiration or all who have the privilege of knowing you
Thanks