The gorgeous jewelry in today’s blog post is designed and sponsored by James Avery! I am a James Avery Ambassador and love the joy and message each piece of James Avery jewelry brings. All thoughts, experiences, and opinions are my own!
As a plus size woman who hasn’t always been confident in my shape, size, and body weight, I’ve spend far too many years hiding. I’ve worn layers of clothing in the heat of summer, with the hope of covering my insecurities. I’ve stayed on the pool deck, wrapped in a beach towel, instead of jumping into the pool with my family and friends. I’ve thrown my hair up, kept my jewelry in its jewelry box, and stashed away my make-up instead of taking a few moments to get myself ready for the day. At some point along the way, I fell for the lie that says that we can’t be confident until we wear a certain size, weigh a certain weight, or look a certain way. Well, I think it’s time we all stop believing in that lie! It’s time to give yourself permission to be confident in exactly who you are in this exact moment!
I love summer, but I won’t deny the anxiety I feel moving into the hot summer months as a plus size woman. Society tells us that we need to get our “summer bodies” ready so that we can wear bathing suits and shorts with pride. Society leads us to believe that we need to look a certain way in order to enjoy summer. These lies have taken away our confidence and leave us out of some amazing memories and opportunities because we are insecure about how we look and feel.
A few months ago it hit me that I’ve got to stop believe in the lies and need to start being proud of who I am in this very moment! That’s not to say that we can’t be working towards a larger goal, but what I realized is that waiting to live life until that goal is reached hurts us more than we realize. Our inner voice and insecurities keep us from far too many things and it’s time we tell that voice to be quiet so that we can be happy and healthy from the inside out!
I’ve cleaned out my closet, refilled it with clothes that fit my body and make me happy, take a few extra minutes in the morning to do my hair and make-up, and put on my favorite James Avery jewelry. It’s time we give ourselves permission to be confident and to wear that confidence on the inside and outside! It’s time to show off our arms, to jump in the pool with our kids, to laugh with friends over a cup of iced coffee, and to be proud of exactly who we are in this exact moment!
If the unofficial start to summer leaves you feeling insecure, I promise you, you are not alone. What I also know is that you are beautiful, you can work towards your goals and still be confident in who you are today, and that you deserve to be happy in the present moment! We choose whether or not to be happy and I want to empower you to be happy! Choose happy… choose confidence!
Today I am wearing the James Avery Script Ring and James Avery Twisted Wire Hook-On Bracelet.
