Woman or Girl, doesn't matter WE need to hold up this world!

I want to share a HUGE pet peeve today. It's about women in general, I keep saying that we're all cats! So quick to turn on each other instead of standing up for each other, trying to be so independant sometimes instead of finding that one good girlfriend to lean on, and also the infamous curiosity killed the cat, that would be the gossiping bit. I will be the first to admit I'm guilty of all three, but there's this one thing that women do that just aggravates the shit out of me. We sit around chatting, and someone makes the comment oh I need to lose weight (this isn't directed at any friend in particular, there will be some of you who think I'm referring to you directly, but so many girlfriends say it, that trust me, I'm not talking about you) then it goes on to well my hair is awful, or I wish I had smaller hips, bigger boobs, smaller nose, bigger lips. And the list goes on and on, once again I am guilty of it, but I REALLY REALLY try not to say anything or jump on the band wagon with the competition (we know it is) of who has the most wrong with them or who's the ugliest. Well if you had the skin that I have, yeah well if you had the butt that I have, or the blah blah blah blah....get my point??

Anyway....why can't we be positive women instead of negative all the time? Do we really say these things to ourselves when we're alone and that silent voice is talking in our head? Do we ever look in the mirror and say you know what my feet may be ugly to everyone but truly I don't mind them and actually kind of "like" them...oh my gosh did I say I like my feet?? MUST be something wrong with me....I have toes that are as long as fingers, no joke! It would be so easy to list everything that I think is wrong with me, but I will not. Voicing it somehow makes it more true rather than if it is just a thought in my head. I'd rather say you know what, I love my eyes and straight hair but wait can't do that cause then I'm vain and conceited....once again the cat thing, tear them down before they get you!!

I don't have perfect self esteem and I still have those days where I think I really am the ugliest girl on the planet but a lot of days I feel great about who I am and I feel awesome that I try to take care of myself (being active, eating right, wearing make-up to be presentable...make-up not for everyone but for me it is....lol). And when that small voice starts to nag I am distracted by surrounding myself with the awesome family and friends that I have.

I want to challenge all women to start thinking better of yourself, FORCE yourself to have the good thought not the bad thought. Surround yourself with good things: friends, family, hobbies that give you pleasure, whatever it may be. And who knows maybe one day women will truly stick together and stand up for each other instead of being the first to attack and tear down. Women are the ones who are strong and compassionate, it is US who need to make the world a better place, we can by starting small, with ourselves...change our mentality, be more positive, and take steps to help yourself feel better about you. And that takes me to my title: Woman or Girl, doesn't matter WE need to hold up this world!

Here are some links to further my argument....lol
http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca/ (Dove Campaign for Beauty)
http://www.weightwatchers.ca/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=381&inbound=sym (I know it's weight watchers but they have some valid points)
http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/72 (article from dr. phil how to change your internal dialogue)
http://www2.oprah.com/relationships/relationships_content.jhtml?contentId=con_200505_5friends.xml (article from oprah about the 5 friends who every woman should have in their lives)