What is Body Positive and how does it relate to Transforming Through Love?
If someone asked you to define love, what would you say? It’s a question I frequently ponder, a question with many possible answers. In this moment, I’d say that an essential part of love is doing whatever is necessary to support someone’s showing up in life in all of their magnificence. Mopo, a photographer from Toronto, understands. When we forget who we are or we allow others to blind us to our own magnificence, we need Mopos in our lives.
You’re about to see a stunning photo of my spiritual sister, Susan, taken by her friend Mopo. When you see the photo, it may be challenging to look away from her physical beauty. She’s freaking gorgeous. I get it, I really do. I’m asking you to focus on her posture, her expression, her eyes. I’m asking you to focus on her Body Positive.
This story isn’t about taking photos as an expression of narcissism. This story is about reconnecting to the beauty of who we are, that healthy expression of appreciating ourselves, by the taking of photographs.
I don’t know a woman who is completely confident in her body. I hope you do. No matter how gorgeous others think we are, if we really try or even if we don’t really try, we can always find something or forty to hate about our bodies. Even if we are completely confident in our bodies, we’re likely to find someone who will find something about us to criticize.
Sure, we know that the criticisms of others that are directed at us are frequently their overheard self-criticisms that may have little or nothing to do with us. And most of us don’t even know we’re doing it, finding things to criticize. We think it’s normal to point out our own flaws, and we think it’s normal and even useful to point out the flaws of others.
A librarian once compared me to Botticelli’s Venus. It’s one of the loveliest compliments I’ve ever received. I’ve also been told I’m borderline attractive at best, I’m too short, my butt’s too big, I really should do something about my greying hair, I dress slutty (if I dress slutty, then what about Botticelli’s Venus?), and I’m pretty but not as pretty as ___________________.
I’ve got a terrific self concept. Coming back from the dead has done a lot to immunize me against backhanded compliments. I’ve learned that the opinions of others are only opinions, not fact. But what about the people who have become dependent upon the opinions of others to feel good about themselves?
Body Positive, Mopo’s initiative, is about loving ourselves exactly as we are.
Transforming through love is about focusing the magical power of love on ourselves and on others. When we do this, anything is possible. When we first focus the magical power of love upon ourselves, our outer reality can shift in amazing ways.
Susan hadn’t been feeling good about herself. She’s had a very difficult year, a year that has followed a series of difficult years that have shaken her confidence. Difficult life experiences can distort us so much that, physical evidence to the contrary, we can’t see our own beauty. It even happens to women as gorgeous as Susan.
Mopo wanted to give Susan the gift of photo therapy, the gift of restoring her sense of wholeness. The photo you are about to see, the photo that looks so effortless, was taken after Mopo brought his camera and lights into one of the Great Lakes to get the shot that would remind Susan of who she really is. The insects were everywhere and Mopo was the flavor of the day. He offered himself up in service, to Susan and to the insects, and he got the shot of a lifetime.
I asked Susan how she felt about herself after seeing this photo and the other photos from the shoot. She’s grateful to Mopo for helping her re-member herself, for helping her put herself back together.
Mopo, bless him, has a mission of helping women see and embrace their beauty. He calls what he does “positive magic.” He sees the beauty in every woman, and he will soon be posting a series of videos on Vimeo called Body Positive. The Body Positive videos are intended to help women love whatever skin we are in: wrinkled, voluptuous, traumatized, whatever. As the photograph shows, true beauty is timeless.
His Vimeo channel is Mopo Photography. I invite you to like his channel and then stay tuned. I also invite you to like Mopo Photography, his Facebook page; if you’re lucky enough to be in or near Toronto, I invite you to contact him for your own photo therapy session.
Whatever it takes, even when confronted with difficult life experiences, I urge you to stay Body Positive. Please don’t let anyone distort how you see your timeless beauty.
My gorgeous spiritual sister Susan. Her website is www.SusanMeehan.net. Photo by Mopo of Mopo Photography.
If reading this post lights you up, if you’re not seeing your true beauty, perhaps we are a professional match for each other. I have found that the more passionate we are about our lives, the more we show our natural radiance. I am a Love of Life Catalyst. I can help you rediscover your passion for your life. I invite you to contact me at love@transformingthroughlove.com to arrange a free 30 minute, no obligation consult. Blessings and peace to you, and stay beautiful.
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