A Worthy Resolution, I Think

Usually I'm not a fan of the resolutions that everyone sets (but rarely achieves) at the New Year. One could wonder why we don't set resolutions of some sort every month or two or six. Why do we only try to "better" ourselves once a year? And why are those goals almost always about fixing our bodies or achieving something more desirable than what we already have? It's common knowledge that gyms get a surge of new contracts at the new year when people are guilt-ridden with the turkey and egg nog and holiday cookies they consumed. And don't get me wrong. I mean, being healthy and taking care of yourself, both in body and in mind, is important and goal-worthy. But.

What if we made resolutions that really, truly meant something? What if the world (or really, just a few of us) resolved to instead of changing our bodies, change the world? Or at least the small bit of world that we inhabit? How would our lives and the lives of those around us be affected if we made a conscious effort to smile at a stranger in the parking lot or spend an hour volunteering at a homeless shelter? I believe that we could make a real difference.

So my resolution this year is to start a revolution on the way women in our society view their bodies. I think it's high time we start accepting them and loving them, no matter our size or weight. It's time we start treating ourselves with respect, instead of calling ourselves "disgusting" or "bad" for eating or having curves.

It was only a small investment, really: just the cost of some post-it notes. On them I've written various things like

Ladies, love your body! Join the revolution!

I keep them in my purse and I leave them in public restrooms or on bulletin boards or in store windows.
I want it to be known that there is a real war, here, going on. It's a war that women are fighting against themselves, against their bodies.
The unrealistic pressure to be too thin is beginning to get nauseating. I have fought my own battle for years, and I believe I have nearly won. But it's not enough. I want to help others, and this is my small way, I think, of battling the negative images and attitudes this world has on what is desirable in a woman's appearance. If enough of us joined, if we all made an effort to change the world, we could. Please join the revolution too.