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"What was the first thing you noticed in this photo?," Ely Fisher asked when posting this to her Instagram page [3]. "Today I saw stretch marks when I looked at this photo! Last time I looked at this photo I saw epic hair hahaha! And that's the honest truth."
She added, "It changes for me all the time. Loving your body in all its forms is a work in progress always." Ely posted this to bring awareness that we are all on different stages of our self-love journey, and every day is different.
She said that when she looks at this photo, sometimes she sees a happy, content woman, and other times "the stretch marks are screaming at me." A lot of the time, what she focuses on is dependent on the mindset she's carrying and the way she talks about herself.
"When things are going great in life it's easy to see everything with light attached and with love. When things aren't going so swimmingly it's harder to see things that way," she shared.
When I asked Ely what was the inspiration behind this post she said, "the journey we are all on, to love ourselves better, to let go of mindsets that hold us back from living the life we want to, it's an ongoing one. Some weeks we are fantastic at it, and other weeks not so much."
Even though her page is devoted to inspiring women to have self-worth, confidence, and health, she shared, "I too like anyone trying, have my days, where what I'm seeing in the mirror doesn't match what I know to be true. We have all fallen victim to this."
She wishes there were more voices out there, sharing their unfiltered gorgeous photos with the world. Because that's actually the every day woman; the one we sit next to in the doctor's office, the ones we see at the grocery store, the ones we sit next to in our cars at the traffic lights — "not the five percent we see plastered in magazines."
So here's a gentle reminder that when you see a photo of yourself or your image in the mirror, view yourself with kindness, appreciation, and love. Ely suggested that if you're struggling, "find three things you are thankful for."
"I am thankful for my stretch marks; they gave me my baby boy. Many women unable to have their own babies; would take the stretch marks and the loose skin time and time again just for that gift. Perspective is key," she shared. You can always find a way to appreciate your insecurities and see them in a different light.