2012: Year of the Vulva? Absolutely.

The Chinese new year is just days away and everyone is all excited about the year of the Dragon.
Which is nice.

But, I'm pretty sure everyone knows its the year of the Vulva.

And that doesn't mean people born in this year wont pair well with a snake but would do great with a horse. That's silly.
It means that this year will birth something new and amazing for women.
And I'm actually for real about this one. As soon as midnight hit this year I felt this amazing electricity in the air. If we want it, this year is ours.

If we as women come together as a united front, something crazy awesome is going to happen and the world is never going to forget it.

And don't give me any of that, "we can't change the world" crap.

 Because we've done it already.

But what can you do?

*Sponsor a girl's education 
*Adopt a Clitoris
*Volunteer at a battered women's center
*Switch to cloth pads and donate your un-used disposable menstrual products to a woman's shelter

*Challenge a friend or a group of friends to take our New Year's Resolution Challenge.
Sure, were past the new year but its never too late to start loving yourself.
*Support women-owned businesses 
*Support women and body positive businesses

*Talk to other women in a way that shows you refuse to be shy or ashamed of your body. 

~Talk about the beauty standard, talk about menstruation and what it is to be a woman. Make the topic of being female far from taboo for the female community. Word can be viral, talk about it and let it spread.

Decide what it is you are going to do. It doesn't have to come from this list. Hell, create your own list. Just decide to do something. Even if its just one thing. Post it here, be accountable. Change the world. 

This New Year: Change the Way You SEE, Not the Way you LOOK - A Body Positive Blog

Every year around this time Women all over the world decide that they are going to something that: instead of changing the way they feel about themselves will make them feel worse about their bodies. 

And you're picking up exactly what I'm puttin down. 

Loose weight, fit into those skinny jeans, blah blah so on and so on I look like crap. 

Now, don't get me wrong. Wanting to eat right, get fit and healthy, work your cardio: those are fantastic.

BUT

Loosing weight to look good is NOT the same thing. 

And here's a hard truth: You will never be happy with your weight if all you are doing is trying to look good. 

You'll reach your goal and decide you can loose another 5 pounds, then another 2- just to get rid of love handles that only you can see.
Don't believe me? Ask almost any 'thin' woman if she is happy with her body size.

It's the way society programs us, women especially. We are never pretty enough, never thin enough.
Still don't believe me?
Crack open this month's Cosmo.
If we could be naturally beautiful then how would anyone sell us anything?

So, to the point. 

If your New Years Resolution is to loose weight because you're not happy with yourself do YOURSELF something that won't make you feel worse. Do something that will change the way you see yourself. 

But what, you ask?

Every time you look in a mirror, 

find something you LIKE about yourself.  
And Girl, I mean EVERY time.

Even if its just one thing: that freckle on your cheek, the curve of your lips, your fingers or toes. 

Find something new every week and soon you will find there is a HUGE picture, a beautiful one, that you were never able to see because everything in our society tells you its not there. 

The first few times it will be tough, but after a while something awesome will happen.
It will be easy as pie. And the things you like about yourself will start piling up.
Write them down on your mirror.
I write them in red lip liner pencil.

 Why?

Because I am DAMN fine.