Seeing Throwbacks + GlowUps with Self Compassion

Time: a form of measurement, an illusion…I am realizing that there are other ways to commemorate growth and change. One way we notice time passing is by the way we look and feel in different stages of life.

I'm talking about #ThrowbackThursday, the pictures of us in braces next to our #GlowUp pictures. I'm talking about when you first noticed stretch marks, when your voice cracked, when you felt awkward dancing at prom, etc.

I'm also talking about our styles. Jerry Seinfeld has a joke that men just keep repeating the outfits they wore in the best time of their lives. But what if he's on to something?

So here are some questions to ponder:

• What are the looks you wore when you were your happiest?

• What were your first inclinations of what to wear as a child?

• How do you feel when you look back at old pictures?

There can be plenty of criticism and pain when we think about how are bodies are changing, particularly with the way society represents aging. Get your wrinkle cream at 16 if you still want to be attractive at 30! Dye your hair until you die! You get it. The messages are exhausting. What if we just accept the radical notion of loving and honoring our bodies that have carried us through life?

My mom sent me this blog post by Caroline Myss, which is a great practice in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and sitting with yourself in silence. It is a part of learning to be our own soulmates, just like Lizzo says.