"What was the first thing you noticed about this photo?" Ely Fisher asked as she posted this on her Instagram page. "Today, I saw stretch marks while looking at this photo! Last time I saw this photo, I saw epic hair lol! And that's the truth."
She added: "It changes all the time for me. Loving your body in all its forms is always a work in progress." Ely posted this to raise awareness that we are all at different stages of our self-esteem journey, and that every day is different.
She said that when she looks at this photo, sometimes she sees a happy, satisfied woman, and sometimes "stretch marks scream at me." Most of the time, what she focuses on depends on the state of mind she is in and the way she talks about herself.
"When things are going well in life, it's easy to see everything with the light on and with love. When things aren't going so well, it's harder to see things that way," she shared.
When I asked Ely what the inspiration behind this post was, she said: "The journey we are all taking to love ourselves better, to get rid of the mindsets that hold us back from living the life we want is an ongoing process. Some weeks we are fantastic and other weeks not so much."
Although her page is dedicated to inspiring women to have self-esteem, confidence and health, she shared: "Me too, I love everyone who tries, they have my days, where what I see in the mirror is not what I know to be true "We are all victims."
She wants there to be More voices there, sharing their beautiful unfiltered photos with the world. Because she is actually the common woman; the ones we sit next to the doctor's office, the ones we see at the grocery store, the ones we sit next to our cars at traffic lights, "not the five percent we see glued to magazines."
Here's a sweet reminder that when you see a photo of yourself or your image in the mirror, look at yourself with kindness, appreciation, and love. Ely suggested that if you're struggling, "find three things you're grateful for."
"I'm grateful for my stretch marks; they gave me my baby. Many women can't have their own babies; they would take stretch marks and loose skin over and over again just for this gift. Perspective is key," she shared. You can always find a way to appreciate your insecurities and see them differently.
