It's time to Lighten Up!

Today I taught a lesson in church which was partly about loving yourself for who you are. I've been going through all of my books that talk about self worth and confidence all week long in preparation and thought I'd share one with you today! Because the world would have you think one thing about beauty but that thought or expectation is wrong! I have always wanted a shirt that says Zero is Not a Size! Curvy, skinny, pale, tan, tall, short, whatever you are I assure you that you are one beautiful person! Because beauty is an inside thing! :D So this book that I want to review today is Lighten Up! By Chieko N. Okazaki! 

I loved this book! I sincerely believe that Chieko Okazaki is probably the coolest and most tuned into women woman that I've ever read. She exhorts women to let the Savior carry their burdens or even just let other women help you on your journey because we all need each other to "lighten up". Fabulous! She has such fun and beautiful insights about the world AND she grew up in Hawaii which is just so magical to me and I loved her stories about her youth on the island. Now these are my two favorite quotes from the book! "Let's stop competing with other women and stop criticizing them, too. Let's stop competing with ourselves and stop picking at ourselves. Let's relax and enjoy who we are. Who we are is enough. We need to love ourselves. Remember that in a gospel sense love means an unconditional desire for the eternal well-being of a soul. Do we feel that we're worthy of such an unconditional regard? Not just someday. Not just if we do everything on the list. But right now? I love myself. I know I'm imperfect, but I also know that I don't have to judge myself harshly. The Lord is my helper. I can go to him. He loves me and wants an eternity of good things for me. But he also wants to give me seconds, and minutes, and hours of good things right now. This is true for you, too. He's not waiting for us to become perfect before we can be happy. We can take our time. We can enjoy ourselves. We can consult our own needs and wants. We can forgive ourselves for what we can't do, and we can be patient about the things we can't do yet. We can lighten up and stop punishing ourselves by thinking we have to do it all. Who we are is all right. God loves us now! And what we're doing is an acceptable gift to Him." "Someday we will all know who we are, because the Savior, who truly knows us, will look at us and we will see ourselves through His eyes-pure, eternal, and all-knowing-rather than through our own mortal, shortsighted, dim perspective. And when we see ourselves as He sees us, we will recognize our glory. Trust in the Lord's love for you. I do. He is my rock and my salvation, my wings, and my roots."

Dang you just look so good today!!! XOXOXOXO