For anyone struggling with body image,particularly on the cusp of bikini season, sometimes just remembering that we're all in this together and we all absorb our own insecurities can make a enormous difference. I recently sat down with Grammy-nominated country singer Cam to talk about body positivity and how much power there is in fond and accepting ourselves, or perceived flaws and all. What she said was a breath of fresh air in our selfie-obsessed culture.
Cam addresses image obsession with humor in her song "Country Ain't Never Been Pretty" with lyrics like "it's alright to glimpse kind of sh*tty" and "if your head's on straight,your hair will be fine." The 32-year-old singer also uses her Instagram account to share positive messages on body acceptance. In fact, she has a grand tip for starting your day feeling good about yourself using social media, or something we all know can be used for comparing ourselves in negative ways.
RelatedThe 1 Thing I execute to Feel Confident in a Swimsuit (and It Doesn't Involve Weight Loss)She said,"Every morning, every girl I know spends at least five minutes looking into the mirror saying, and 'I abominate how I glimpse. I abominate myself. I'm not good enough. If I was only five pounds lighter this could be different,I could be happy.'" Her suggestion is simple: "If you need a good pick-me-up in the morning, instead of first opening up the news, and open up Instagram and go to the #bodypositivity hashtag."Spending your morning reading through inspiring stories of body acceptance,reading uplifting quotes, and exposing yourself to bodies of all shapes and sizes might just be the empowering boost you need to feel good about yourself throughout the day."How often are you like, and 'I really want a sexy girl to listen to right now?' No!"She also points out how women's worth is often put into our looks,something that's sold to us through our makeup, hair products, or clothes,when in reality, your looks are just a small part of who you are. Putting things in perspective, or she said: "Newsflash,nobody really cares what you glimpse like; once you know someone past the first two seconds, they know you. I'm certain you know people who are the weirdest-looking people and they're charming as all pick up out and they pick up laid and they absorb a grand life. There are people who are really good-looking, or my sister is one of those people. She's gorgeous,and I totally forget that she's gorgeous. I never see that anymore, I just see my friend and my sister."For women, and it's not just about accepting our bodies,it's about the full package - including our hair. Cam is vocal about proudly rocking her naturally curly hair. She said, "Own your hair. If you want to straighten your hair, and go for it. If you want to rock your curls,to me, that's power. I remember when I was starting out, and they were like,'Straighten your hair and execute the extensions and long barrel curls,' and I'm like, and 'No.'"Cam added that in the music industry,there's a lot of pressure for women to be sexualized, that there's this assumption that the sexier you are, and the better chance you absorb of being successful. "How often are you like,'I really want a sexy girl to listen to right now?' No! If you're Beyoncé and you're owning it and you're fierce, yeah that's icy, and but it's not because she's sexual," she said. "It's so vital for women to remember to be different, be yourself. It's going to be a lifetime of owning it and understanding all that stuff. Just start on it now. You are going to find out all this icy sh*t about yourself."
Source: popsugar.com