Taryn Brumfitt, you are my hero!
Taryn is a documentary film maker. Her film, Embrace, is a must-see for anyone looking to boost their body positivity. In it, she travels the globe, meeting with women who are actively promoting body acceptance, self-esteem, and defying pop culture appearance norms.
She shares her message through frank honesty. In one segment, she visits a plastic surgeon for a consultation. She fearlessly lets the camera view her body as the plastic surgeon evaluates. She’s told bluntly how her breasts should be, and how fat can be moved from one area of her body and deposited in another. Feedback does not get more brutal than this. She accepts this as one professional’s perception of her body, but makes it clear to the viewer that his perception does not need to be her’s. Taryn, for this, you will forever be my hero.
I want to fill this blog with many positive messages; I want to be a proponent of body positivity and empower others on how to get there, how I’m there. I find myself asking the same question many women write Taryn: “How can I love my body the way you love yours?” I realize that self-acceptance is a continuum and I am not at the place that Taryn is. Collective daily actions can move you further along that continuum, but sadly there is no magic wand that can be waved.
Embrace encouraged me to begin thinking about the daily actions I can take to promote body positivity. Below are actions I want to implement. Two of them are direct quotes from participants in the film. The last is my own.
“If you’re in my presence, you are not allowed to talk bad about yourself.”
“Look at yourself in the mirror naked. Call yourself beautiful. Even if you don’t mean it, fake it ’til you make it.”
“Determine what motivates you.”
For many, this is helping a future generation love themselves, by witnessing women speaking positively about their bodies and emphasizing health over appearance.
Bye, bye bikini body. Go to the beach because you want to be at the beach, as well as experience the sand and the waves. A bikini is not required, laying out is not mandatory, and tanning is bad for you.
Kate N., MS, CEAP, joined Empathia in 2005 as an EAP Counselor, then became a Performance Specialist in 2012. Kate has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and is devoted to helping individuals determine how to make lasting changes. Prior to joining Empathia, she worked in the social work field as a case manager for Child Protective Services. Kate enjoys baking, yoga and escaping into the woods of Northern Wisconsin.
