I’ve been thinking a lot recently on the power of stories.

Every one of us is living out our own story.  We are putting pen to paper as we live the day to day, make decisions, set forth on adventures, find love, lose love, and find love once again in something unexpected.  Every now and then, I’ll look back on the chapters in my life story and reminisce of fond memories, remind myself of lessons learned, and plot the high points and lows.  This is all done so that I can ensure that when my life story is complete it can be looked upon as something rich with meaning, adventure, joy, and fulfilling relationships.

This story would be no fairytale, however, it would be real and raw, exposing the low points where poor decisions were made, pain was felt, and experiences of self-doubt, inadequacy, and vulnerability overcame myself.  When I think about sharing my story with others, these are always the chapters that I want to keep to myself because of the pain and shame that is evoked during those times.  However, as hard as these memories may be to share with others, these are where I allow others to peer into the caverns of my soul, helping people to learn through my own experience.  That makes my story powerful.

We all have a story.  It may not be like the tale of Frodo Baggins of Lord of the Rings or Jake Sully in Avatar but it doesn’t mean our story isn’t any less important to relay to others.  Each of us holds a powerful story and it is when we communicate this that we see this power our life story can exhibit.

We are all storytellers. Let us all be storytellers and change lives through sharing the stories that are written inside our hearts.

Oh, the beloved fourteenth of February,

So many eagerly await your arrival after fond memories from years past.  How can we forget the way you effortlessly bring so many couples closer together, how you help out friendly card companies, florists, and chocolatiers during an economic downturn, and, of course, how you so kindly remind the majority of us that we are without a special someone.  Thank you for the reminder.  This year shall be another without a formal date and you know what? I am totally fine with the situation.

I’ve seen something recently in many relationships, that I am certainly not immune to, which is our desire to validate our own worth in the soul of another.  Simply, we feel content and complete when we are in a relationship but the minute that it is over we freak out and feel incomplete.  Now, I can’t necessarily hypothesize or diagnose why this is, but I believe it comes down to idea of self-love.  If you don’t truly love yourself and feel content being single, it will be difficult to facilitate a healthy and functional relationship with another person.  In relationships, we can often find ourselves unsettled or unhappy, attempting to fill a void that is far deeper than another person could possibly fill.

So, my friends, if you feel alone, incomplete, or inadequate because you may not have a significant other, take time to reflect upon your life.  Inquire within as to why those feelings arise and make necessary steps to address the deeper issues that exist. For each of us this will appear differently.  Learn to love yourself.  Feel content with your present situation, resolving that you don’t need to validate your worth through another person.  When that happens, you will be able to approach relationships that come your way with a healthy frame of mind, finding a deeper sense of joy and contentment that may never previously unveiled itself.

With Contentment,

Brett

Healthy body image is becoming a conversation topic in many media outlets. How is airbrusing used and do we want to know? Is the label “plus sized” or “curvy” necessary when using models of varying body shapes and sizes? While I think the conversations are great, they seems to be very focused on size, but what about age?

From left, Yohji Yamamoto, agnès b., Ann Demeulemeester.
Photo: imaxtree, Getty Images, imaxtree

My grandmother just turned 79 this past weekend and I couldn’t help but think about age and getting old after talking with her. Do I appreciate the beauty that comes with age? Will I learn to love my body as it changes, or forever attempt to remain youthful in appearance?

While I often feel like I can’t maintain the “ideal” body- I wonder how my grandmother feels. Does she ever see wrinkles, white hair and pale skin celebrated or displayed in the newspaper, on TV or on the magazine display rack? I think she is beautiful not because she looks like she is 30, but because she looks like she is 79.

What would a healthy body image look like at any age?

beauty within the slum [a scene from africa] from JJ Starr on Vimeo.

I was reminded this morning that beauty is not just a conversation about what we wear, what size models we think magazines should display or what we find physically appealing or attractive. Beauty can be found in an attitude, a way of life. Our friend JJ has been filming in Africa and as I looked through his videos while eating breakfast this morning, I was struck by the title of this one.

“beauty within the slum”

Here is what JJ had to say about this video, “so far on my many journeys through Uganda and Kenya my favorite part has been this short video. This kid lives in the Namuwangu Slum just outside of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. He’s blind but is well known by all the people who work and live within in the slums as a “ray of sunshine”. Upon meeting him he wanted to play his harmonica for us, and what follows is beautiful. Thanks to someone he will probably never meet he was able to receive money to attend a special needs school outside of the slum.”

Thanks for the reminder, JJ. Beauty is bigger than a size, our clothes or an appearance.

Where do you find beauty in your life?

As another year comes to an end, everywhere I turn people are beginning to talk about resolutions for the new year. Things they will change, things they will avoid, promises made that often don’t make it past February.

While I don’t think all resolutions are bad, I think I get too caught up in trying to find the “perfect resolution” that will somehow catapult my year into the best one yet. So this year, for 2010, I’m setting a goal. A goal that will help me refocus and ultimately define.

Everyday, for 365 days (not a leap year so I don’t get off easy), I am going to write down something I am thankful that my body can DO. I am going to make a conscious effort to focus on what my body can DO, and not just how it looks.

Do you have any resolutions or goals for 2010? Will you join me in mine?
-Courtney

http://bit.ly/5n7j7o –12 ways to become proud of your body

#3 Focus on what your body can DO, not just on how it looks.

What does your body allow you to do? Hug your family, climb a mountain, run a race, dance, swim? Celebrate these things this holiday season.

-Courtney

Don’t forget that all TMOOH goods are 10% off through Sunday’s Survivor finale.

GALU at checkout gets you immunity.

And voting is officially open for Survivor Fan Favorite!  http://bit.ly/79kOIm

NY Times Op-Ed: Sex, Lies and Photoshop

We are all aware that magazines and advertisers use photo retouching and airbrushing. But do you want to know when it happens?

Tell us what you think!

In honor of Brett aka “the baby-faced assassin” we are offering our biggest fans a special 10% discount this week only.

ALSO: Buy any 2 shirts and receive an autographed picture.

Make sure to use the code GALU at checkout and tune in Thursday on CBS to see Brett in action.

I just learned about Operation Beautiful- my first “you’re beautiful” post-it note is going up tomorrow.

Help end Fat Talk by leaving a positive note for a stranger. We could all use a reminder that we are beautiful.