My early 20s was a struggle of self acceptance and love. I wrote this book as an inner look on how I discovered ”her.” Growing up in predominately white spaces as a women of color it is hard to define what “beauty“ looks like for you. Social media, television and even those around me not positive representations of what black beauty looks like. It took years for me to construct a healthy live for myself. This book is a journey of self-love and realizing ones true beauty. Loving yourself takes time. My hopes for this book is that it is one that will help women of color on their journey to inner peace, a deeper love for oneself, and tapping into their inner Queen.
The self-esteem of women are sometimes shattered by failures in life, disappointments, and difficult times. However, we can regain our high levels of self-esteem by believing in ourselves and valuing our inner beauty qualities such as determination, courage, self-confidence, and perseverance. More than a Pretty Face will provide women with a renewed attitude on how to appreciate their unique, individual qualities. This life-changing journey of empowerment will ignite a passion within women to recognize that they are created for greatness and designed for a special purpose. Find out how you can dream big beyond the ordinary and value your precious inner beauty.
The Routledge Companion to Romantic Love is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary reference work essential for students and researchers interested in the field of love, romance and popular romance fiction. This first-of-its-kind volume illustrates the broad and interdisciplinary nature of love studies. International contributors, including leaders in their field, reflect a range of perspectives from cultural studies, history, literature, popular romance studies, American studies, sociology and gender studies. Comprising over 30 chapters by a team of international contributors the Companion is divided into 12 parts: Love, romance and historical and social change Love and feminist discourses Love and popular romance fiction Love, gender and sexuality Romancing Australia South and Southeast Asian romance communities Nation, place and identity in US popular romance novels Romantic love and national identity in Chinese and Taiwanese discourses of love Muslim and Middle Eastern romances Discourses of romance fiction and technologies of power Writing love and romance Legal and theological fiction and sexual politics This is an important and unique collection aimed at researchers and students across cultural studies, women and gender studies, literature studies and sociology.
“Rosetti’s illustrations are personalized affirmations of the rights of women. They congratulate the empowered, comfort the survivors, and present rebuttals to the oppressive comments that rain down upon women from the heights of the patriarchy.” —Bust The message we receive from the world is clear: we’re not good enough. We’re not skinny enough, pretty enough, smart enough. Women is all about accepting ourselves. Carol Rossetti asks us instead to say, “We’re not good enough—we’re even better.” Despite the progress we’ve made as a society, there is still a cruel and subtle gender oppression that exists today—and many don’t realize it’s there. In response, Rossetti decided to draw women to focus on the issues we face. Her illustrations are of women who feel safe expressing themselves by showing the world their fashion, sexuality, relationships, religion, disabilities, and even traumatic experiences. Rossetti’s commanding images belong on billboards and street corners and in schools and offices to remind us that our unique experiences and expressions should make us feel beautiful, intelligent, and proud. We have the power to embrace who we are and can stop trying so hard to please the rest of the world. Carol Rossetti and Women offer us a vision of who we can be.
In "Mine Body Is Not an Apology: A Guide to Self-Love," readers embark on a transformative journey towards embracing self-acceptance and nurturing a positive relationship with their bodies. This empowering guide offers practical insights and tools to help individuals overcome societal pressures and harmful beauty standards. Through a blend of self-care practices, positive self-talk, and celebrating personal achievements, this book encourages readers to cultivate a deep sense of self-worth and body confidence.With an emphasis on setting healthy boundaries, building supportive relationships, and prioritizing overall well-being over appearance, this guide equips readers to navigate life with self-love at its core. It promotes the idea that bodies come in diverse and beautiful forms and encourages readers to live authentically and unapologetically."Mine Body Is Not an Apology" is a heartfelt and empowering resource that inspires individuals to advocate for body positivity, inclusivity, and self-compassion. It's a guide that fosters personal growth, encouraging readers to embrace their unique selves and create a more loving and accepting world for all.
We Are Being Lied To It's time to get honest with ourselves. Culture's beauty standards are messed up. We all know it, and we all think we can resist the pull to look a certain way. Yet most of us--our daughters and nieces too--still strive for a broken kind of beauty and feel I'm. not. good. enough. For Melissa Johnson, a marriage and family therapist, this lie eventually led to battling an eating disorder. Through that experience, she saw that chasing broken beauty breaks women in so many ways. She also realized that true, soul-deep beauty is not impossible--it abounds in us and all around us. And now Melissa's on a mission to help you · uncover the hidden damage cultural lies about beauty have on your mind and soul · reconnect with God, in whose image you are made · walk away from shame and striving · love yourself--and others--unconditionally True beauty is the fullness of life we are longing for. It's the reality that blows our minds, affirms our true worth, and invites us into an adventure that meets our deepest longings. And it's true beauty that will save us if we open our eyes to it. "Nothing is more shattered or more misunderstood in our lives than beauty. On our own, we are unable to recapture God's vision for it, and every generation needs guides who can reintroduce it to us again for the first time. In Melissa Johnson, we have such a guide."--CURT THOMPSON, MD, author of The Soul of Desire and The Soul of Shame
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Are you satisfied with what you see? Do you see yourself as beautiful? If you have struggled with loving your body and living out your authentic self without fear or shame, this workbook is for you. Beautiful Freedom is designed to support you to break through the barriers of negative thoughts and self-sabotage, all in just 4 weeks. Divided into two sections, the first part of the work book is Kellie's personal story of overcoming the grips of anorexia, bulimia, and extreme body hatred and how a major turning point in her life caused her to transform her thinking and ignite in her a passion to coach other women. The second section is the work book, divided up into four chapters, with the intention of the reader focusing on one chapter a week. Topics include the 4 C's: "Challenging Our Thoughts" "Changing Our Perspective" "Choosing Self Care" and "Creating A Passion-Filled Life" Each chapter includes challenges to work on through out the week, reflection questions and a positive affirmation to begin to transform your thinking. There is also a Gratitude Journal section at the back of the book. This 4 week guide is the beginning of your journey toward greater acceptance of yourself, fearless body-love and freedom to feel beautiful in a world that sees beauty as only skin deep. *Please note: This work book is not intended for those currently struggling with a serious eating disorder and is not meant to replace professional medical advice.
A Muslim woman’s searingly honest memoir of her journey toward self-acceptance as she comes to see her body as a symbol of rebellion and hope—and chooses to live her life unapologetically Ever since she was little, Leah Vernon was told what to believe and how to act. There wasn’t any room for imperfection. ‘Good’ Muslim girls listened more than they spoke. They didn’t have a missing father or a mother with a mental disability. They didn’t have fat bodies or grow up wishing they could be like the white characters they saw on TV. They didn’t have husbands who abused and cheated on them. They certainly didn’t have secret abortions. In Unashamed, Vernon takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, race, weight, mental health, domestic violence, sexuality, the millennial world of dating, and the process of finding her voice. She opens up about her tumultuous adolescence living at the poverty line with her fiercely loving but troubled mother, her absent dad, her siblings, and the violent dissolution of her 10-year marriage. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, Vernon reflects on her experiences with hustling paycheck to paycheck, body-shaming, and redefining what it means to be a “good” Muslim. Irreverent, youthful, and funny, Unashamed gives anyone who is marginalized permission to live unapologetic, confident lives. “Vernon’s determined advocacy for body positivity as a feminist and mental health issue, and her painful journey to self-acceptance, are moving and powerful, forcing readers to examine their own preconceptions about beauty standards and health.” —Booklist
Based on her popular Instagram feed of the same name (144k followers and counting), Recipes for Self-Love is a book by Amsterdam-based artist Alison Rachel of empowering images of and for women, and accompanying mediations on feminism, self-care, boundaries, intersectionality, sexuality, anxiety, ritual, beauty, individuality, and self-expression. Featuring all-new images in her bright, distinctive style in a gifty full-color package (7 x 7” POB), Recipes for Self-Love is the ultimate appreciation gift for the powerful, incredible women in your life (or for yourself).
Every day we see body ideals depicted in movies, magazines, and social media. And, all too often, these outdated standards make us feel like we need to change how we look and who we are. The truth is that many teens feel self-conscious about their bodies and being a teen girl of color is hard in unique ways. So, how can you start feeling good about yourself when you're surrounded by these unrealistic and problematic images of what bodies are "supposed" to look like? This book is an unapologetic guide to help you embrace radical body positivity. You'll identify and challenge mainstream beliefs about beauty and bodies; celebrate what makes you unique and powerful; and build real, lasting body empowerment. You'll also learn how to spot diet culture and smash your noisy inner critic so you can start loving your body. It's time to create your own definition of beautiful, and recognize that your body is amazing. It's time for a self-love revolution!
