Just wear the shorts (and other fears you should get over)
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Wear the darn shorts.
For years I would not wear shorts. Seriously. I don't think I had put on a pair of shorts since I graduated from high school. I would tell myself "I don't have the body for shorts." Umm... what kind of body is that? A body with legs? A body that gets hot during the summer because Alabama is located somewhere between Mordor and the surface of the sun?
So I bought a pair of shorts at Old Navy. And I wore them. And sometimes I wore the out in public. And on occasion I took photos in them while I held my cute baby. And no one died.
So wear the darn shorts. Wear the bathing suite and go to the beach with your kids. Cut your hair. Allow yourself to have color in your wardrobe. Whatever it is you've decided not to do because "you don't have the body for it..." stop. Just stop.
When we let fear come in and take over it robs us of really getting to know who we are.
I posted the above picture on Instagram and the response was amazing. Women were pouring their hearts out, telling me they had felt the same way.
"I learned to wear shorts when I was pregnant with my second. I could only find maternity shorts in my size at my local target no pants so I didn't have a choice and you know what... I was more comfortable and everyone else survived the sight. Lol. So now when I'm hot I wear shorts to heck with everything else."
"This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for these words, Lydia. I needed to hear them."
"Yes! I used to hate getting in a swimsuit. Then I decided my kids are not going to remember what I looked like in a suit. They are going to remember that their mom was out there swimming, splashing, and sliding down the water slides."
"When I think about it, I don't examine other people's legs when they wear shorts," said one woman."
No one is looking at your legs and thinking you shouldn't be wearing shorts. And if they are why the heck do you care about the opinion of a small minded person who has time to examine another human's legs???
I know summer is wrapping up but there is still plenty of time to squeeze in shorts wearing time. Or dresses without sleeves, or high heals, or bright lipstick, wearing your hair up or down, short or long. Whatever it is you've wanted to do but felt you "didn't have the body to do it" just do it anyway. You're amazing. Go for it.
