Food for Thought

Don't get me wrong. I love the new uplifting Dove Commercial featuring women's perceptions on their own beauty. It's a fantastic message and definitely a step in the right direction.

However, something felt off about it. I didn't know what it was, but then I saw this article and realized what it was. 

Why Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" video makes me uncomfortable,

and kind of makes me angry

Within:

"At the end of the experiment, one of the featured participants shares what I find to be the most disturbing quote in the video and what Dove seems to think is the moral of the story as she reflects upon what she's learned, and how problematic it is that she hasn't been acknowledging her physical beauty: "It's troubling," she says as uplifting music swells in the background. "I should be more grateful of my natural beauty. It impacts the choices and the friends we make, the jobs we go out for, the way we treat our children; it impacts everything. It couldn't be more critical to your happiness."

"Did you hear that, ladies? How beautiful you are affects everything--from your personal relationships to your career. It could not be more critical to your happiness!"

It's a little over-the-top on its suggestions, but I took it with a grain of salt. This commercial really affected me too, just like it did many others. I realize that I'm probably overly critical about how I see myself. And I realize that the message is more about how we view ourselves affects everything we do; but what I love this article is it the underlying message right on the head. Beauty is still the ruling factor in how we are treated. I like to think there are more important elements on how we see ourselves. 

Anyway, I think it's worth the read, just as food for thought. We are obviously all more beautiful than we realize, but is that still all that matters? 

Never Defeated

I know that the runners of the Boston Marathon bombings were not the direct targets for the attack, but it deeply affected me all the same. It's so crushing that such a beautiful, inspirational, and momentous event could be so brutally torn apart. An activity that I love and breathe for was completely desecrated. 

It's so strange that something like this has motivated me more than ever to become a better runner. I want to run longer for those who can no longer run, I want to run faster for those who finished the race and then immediately ran to the hospital to donate blood. 

I'm not going to say a lot about this event, because all the important things have already been said. It's easy to look at the horrors of the world and say "I've lost all faith", but honestly I think something like this is restoring my faith in it. The world came together for this. 90+ nations were being represented at this race. Thousands of people striving and working hard to achieve a goal they have dedicated their life to. If anything, this attack has made me want to achieve my goals even more.

I'm going to run hard from now on and never look back.

Animorphs on life

"I've always believed that to some extent you get to decide for yourself what your life will be like. You can either look at the world and say 'Oh, isn't it all so tragic, so grim, so awful.' Or you can look at the world and decide that it's mostly funny.

If you step back far enough from the details, everything gets funny. You say war is tragic. I say, isn't it crazy the way people will fight over nothing? People fight wars to control crappy little patches of empty desert, for crying out loud. It's like fighting over an empty soda can. It's not so much tragic as it is ridiculous. Asinine! Stupid!

You say, isn't it terrible about global warming? And I say, no, it's funny. We're going to bring on global warming because we ran too many leaky air conditioners? We used too much spray deodorant, so now we'll be doomed to sweat forever? That's not sad. That's irony."

-Marco, Animorphs #16

How does it feel?

Life has been to crazy to devote much time to my thoughts.

 I feel as though I'm in this constant state of pleasing others, and I'm ready for some me time.

Anyway, I was doing some research and came across this beautiful narrative on 

living with Bipolar II Disorder. There are very few descriptions I have heard that have accurately described how I feel. No one knows. People have no idea what it's like.

I swear, one more person says "OMG IM SO BIPOLAR TODAY" I'm going to commit murder.

I guess by reading and sharing this knowledge I'm helping myself. People NEED TO KNOW how to help people with mental disorders. 

This is honestly the most beautifully truthful and candid explanation of what it is like to live with true bipolar disorder.

Please read this, please understand, never judge. 

Article Here

Here's a synopsis in the author's words:

On depression:

 "And then there was the sadness. That inexplicable melancholy that sat on my chest from time to time. I’d be fine, nothing was wrong, and then out of nowhere, the tears would start and I couldn’t stop them. I had no reason to be sad, I was in elementary school"

On hypomania: 

"Let me explain "hypomania" for you. Remember the first time you were ever on a Ferris wheel? Remember when you got to the very top and kinda just sat there for a little while, the entire world at your feet. There was euphoria, excitement, you could see the entire world from where you were. You felt like you could touch the sky. Your entire body was tingling with this amazing sensation of joy and that good anxiety. You were giddy. Just fucking excited to be alive at that moment.

Now imagine feeling that every day for a week or a month or a few months, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no break. No "down". No rest. It's exhausting but it also makes every thing you do feel like THE BIGGEST  MOST AMAZING THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE IN YOUR LIFE!"

This isn't always the case with everyone. Some people rapid cycle, like me. I feel these things within the span of a day, constantly flipping back and forth. Every day. Every week. Every year. It's different every day, but there it is, waiting for me when I open my eyes. 

Please read, please support and encourage those around you. 

You never know what someone else is dealing with. 

That felt really good!