(photo by me, of me in 2006)

You know what I’m talking about.  That type of day where everything you try on makes you look/feel like a cow.  That day where your body is suddenly full of every possible imperfection.  That day where your hair refuses to do anything that you want it to.  That day where you spend an hour trying to find an outfit in your bursting closet only to wear the exact same thing you wore last week.

Ladies, I’ve been there.  And I think it’s safe to say that every female has  experienced this at least once in their life, if not once a week.  Not matter how beautiful or self-confident we are, there will always be days when we feel like sh*t.  There will always be days when we are way too hard on ourselves for the minor amount of belly fat we gained over the past few months.  There will always be days where we can’t stand what we see when we look in the mirror.  And even when we just recently spent a lot of money on new clothes, there will still be days where we feel like we have nothing to wear.  It happens.  To everyone.  Men and women.

On these types of days, it can be really hard to be kind to yourself.  But that is the key to making it through.  Maybe, instead of trying to come up with something amazing to wear that day, you should throw on a standby that you know and love, like your favorite jersey dress, or those jeans that fit you just right.  Maybe, instead of punishing yourself for a few pounds gained with a three hour spin session at the gym, you should go for soothing walk somewhere that helps you feel calm and clear your head.  Maybe, instead of throwing away all your clothes in frustration, you should consider what in your closet needs alterations, what items simply don’t work, and what items you really need to make you feel good in your skin.  Maybe, instead of trying to force your body into all the latest trends,  you should focus on buying clothes in fabrics and cuts that make you feel good while wearing them.

Because nothing is more important than  feeling good in your own skin.  No matter what size you are, no matter where your lumps and bumps reside, if you feel good in what you’re wearing and who you are, you will project beauty.  But if you’re feeling crappy about yourself, then no matter how much physical beauty you have, no matter if you are a size 18 or a size 2 or anything larger, smaller or in-between, you won’t appear as beautiful.  Beauty is much more about a feeling of confidence and self-worth than it is about size, or hair color, or skin texture or anything else physical.   To feel good in one’s own skin is beauty.  And some days it’s not easy to feel that way.   And that’s okay.  Life is a learning process.  There will be up days and there will be down days.  We just have to learn to make it through the down ones, and savor and relish in the good ones.