exposed
Posted: October 14, 2010 at 11:00 amBloggers of the Day (chosen randomly from your comments)
- Newlywed, Newly Veg – Anna creates amazing meals and shares gorgeous photography. Look, how pretty! Plus, she’s such a sweetheart!
- Kris Tastes – Krista is another great cook and photographer, plus a runner. I want to make BOTH of these recipes.
- Frontyard Foodie – Diana has a gorgeous newborn baby boy and already is whipping upthings in the kitchen, like pumpkin butter and pickled peppers.
Crazy. That would come as the initial thought when considering posting a picture of your pregnant body in a bikini where anyone with an internet connection could stumble across it. Too bad my mind doesn’t quite work like that. Empowered immediately follows feelings of crazy. When the opportunity to practice what I state to believe opens up, who am I to deny it?
What would that say if I shied away because posting such an exposed picture could strike fear in a woman’s (aka my) heart? Haven’t I worked long and hard to grow into a more self-loving person? Shouldn’t my actions speak louder than my words which claim I feel proud of my body and all it provides me? I spent an entire 30 Days working to share a message of loving ourselves, inside and out, including appreciating the gifts of our bodies.
So when Michelle from Eating Journey asks me to share an Exposed message on my blog, what would it say if I avoided it because what I look like in a bikini right now is not something I would have posted with confidence even six months ago? You know we can all be pretty picky of the photos we share with others - being sure to pick only the ones where we successfully managed a flattering body angle, smile, open eyes, combed hair, and still look natural. Well, that goes all out the window for me today, folks. So hello world, this is me!
In reality, though, that isn’t truly ME. When completing this project, this image becomes a blank canvas. A place to splash the truth and paint the person behind the skin. Those outward qualities are not the defining truths of my whole. They are not the mother, the wife, the friend, the child of God, the woman passionately blogging her heart out to the world, the fitness enthusiast, the bookworm, the football fan, or the cockroach hater. The real me looks more like this…
…but covered with even more text to even begin to tell my story. We are not what we see in the mirror. And a picture of you, or me, is worth so much more than a thousand words. It is worth a soul, a heart, a life. Expose the reality. That is what matters. That is who you are. Beautiful, purposeful, created with love, and deserving of all the care and respect in this world.
- What’s something you would write on your “blank canvas” to paint the beautiful picture of who you are?
- To learn more or to participate in the Exposed Movement, CLICK HERE!
- Something to do? Ask me anything by CLICKING HERE. Turns out the box on my sidebar didn’t work, so CLICK to ask away. C’mon! I only have one question so far and will need more to do a Q&A during November.
Tags: body image, pregnancy
[…] this morning’s post where I “exposed” myself, full on with a pregnancy bikini shot, I got to thinking about confidence. The other day, while […]
Oh my God – you are my HERO.
God Bless You.
Seriously.
You’re awesome! And you look great.
This post is AMAZING! Holy wow, I’m so inspired.
You are super beautiful!
I love your self-esteem…it motivates me to feel better about myself!
You are just a ray of light, Tina! Thank you for being you!
First of all, i had SUCH a GOD moment last night. I just asked him to help me love myself. The interesting thing about this whole exposed movement is that it’s made me aware of what I’ve been shoving down inside of me..and more that I’ve been listening to such NEGATIVE thoughts for the past two years. Seeing God’s LOVE in all of us is incredible. It’s so incredibly powerful.
Second I love pregnant women, because it’s such a mircale.
Thank you SO much for doing this. Your the first prego woman to do the Expose movement and I couldn’t think of anyone better!
I love this post….you’re such a beauty!
this is awesome tina!! 🙂
You look so beautiful! I admire your confidence!
You are amazing! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Exposed Movement.
My first thought was: I totally want to do that!
My second thought was: You can’t do that. Everyone would see what your stomach really looks like. And it can’t produce babies for you (I deal w/infertility), so what good is it? (Ok, now I’m a puddle again, just writing this).
Sooooooo, clearly I’ve got a little work to do in that area! Please keep me in your prayers, Tina. I know you will. 🙂 Hugs!
I’m sorry to hear that you deal with infertility. My heart always goes out to those facing that. And I’m certain you are a beautiful woman with a great purpose in this life, despite that struggle.
You are amazing! Your confidence inspires me – thank you.
You are stunning, inside and out! So glad you participated in this incredible movement. Such a powerful message of self-love and body confidence =)
I knoooow from your previous post that we must be careful when commenting on your pregnancy but oh my gosh you look amazing! You are so vibrant and adorable! You own your pregnancy.
Seeing you and Heather (Eats Almond Butter) makes me seriously reconsider my no-kids policy. You guys really show what a blessing it is to give life, even though it comes with so many challenges.
You don’t have to be careful. I mainly just get sick of the same people all the time constantly telling me how “huge” I am and that I must be having the baby soon. 🙂
I used to think I wouldn’t want kids either. Crazy how things change!
I love it! Way to go. Pregnancy is a very empowering experience. Sometimes the changes are hard to see, but it’s amazing to learn what your body can do.
Once again you amaze and inspire me!! You are so brave for posting this and it reminds me yet again that self-love is absolutely the most important gift you can give yourself! And, um, you look amazing in your pregnant body, seriously!!
wow you look beautiful and truly glowing. what a powerful post. I <3 you!
Tina, I continue to be amazed by you – you are so inspiring and beautiful! 🙂 Hope you have a great Friday.
Wow, you are amazing. That had to take guts and is such an inspiration! YOu look beautiful and your words are so inspiring!!
Tina, this is awesome. One of my favorite posts today:).
You look beautiful! 🙂
You look fantastic. 🙂
I don’t particularly like children (I’ll probably get over that once I’m older) but I have always thought of how magical it must be to make an itty bitty little baby. 😀
To think that an actual human being can be created out of nearly nothing blows my mind.
Awesome post! Just absolutely awesome.
Awesome post, such great confidence you have. You rocked that bikini too. It’s all about loving your self
I think #1 fear in pregnancy (besides the health of the baby) is my own paranoid feelings of gaining weight. I know I WANT to be pregnant but gaining weight scares me. I love that you shared this exposed post with us. You look stunning and I mean that! Such an inspiration TIna!
LOVELOVELOVE this post! I have seen other people do a similar thing from shrinkingjeans.com and have really admired and respected their bravery! Perhaps I will follow suit someday… but not day.
By the way, you look amazing! 🙂 Pregnancy looks good on you!
Have a blessed day!
Rachel
[…] but I can love my body at any size. It produces beautiful children, after all. Heck – I even “exposed” myself with a pregnancy bikini […]
This picture is amazing. I love how you included all of the text. You are such a good role model!
I LOVE IT!!!!!
[…] step I take where I embrace vulnerability and expose myself gives me strength. Remember me and my pregnant belly in a bikini out there for the whole world to see? Talk about vulnerable! And strong. I know it took guts to post that. Yet I have never felt more […]
i literally got goose bumps!
u are amazing!
this is BEAUTIFUL. I so respect all of these things, and I admire the incredible way your body allows you to do so much- like have babies!! I love it!
[…] Exposed: It took a lot to post a picture of myself in a bikini at eight months pregnant. To this day, I think this post expresses the main message I hope to deliver through this blog more eloquently than any other I have shared. It humbles me and inspires me all in one. […]
I admire you. You give me such hope that all the work I’m putting in now will help me accept and love my body and myself. On the days it feels like I’m back to square one I think of this photo (specifically the one with the writing) and imagine what I could write on mine. THANK YOU! xxx
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