Monday, September 17, 2012
Kim Kardashian's Pant Size: a Look Into Comparisons
Kim Kardasian Pant Size: a Look into Comparisons
One night I found myself fervently searching for Kim Kardashians pant size...From Google, TMZ, to ask.com, I was on a mission. A mission to make myself feel better. I had felt rather frumpalicious lately, 3 kids later, getting older,and past pictures had really put me in a funk about my body. So naturally I start looking up an icon, someone men drooled over and fantasized about. I needed her pant size....to compare.....to come out on top. Because if my pant size were smaller, than maybe I was beautiful too.
I've known for awhile that I'm hard on myself with my body image but I never quite understood why. I've lived in constant comparison mode of stars and people around me.
But as I sat searching, site after site I stopped....."why the heck am I doing this!?" I mean it's absurd and ridiculous. Why would it matter anyway? Would I hold my head higher if my pant size were smaller!? Or would I hang my head in shame because I didn't measure up? Either way I figured it to be a sad ending.
So I slowly put the computer down and ate some chocolate while surfing Facebook. Then I saw all the posts of pounds lost, work-out routines along with the diets that everyone posts and strangely enough, I found myself back at square one.
Funny enough, when I choose to compare, I discovered that I don't compare myself to someone that will make me feel worse. Clearly I wasn't going to look up a runway models pant size, I wanted a chance here. In fact one of my favorite pastimes when I'm needing to unhealthily pick myself up is watching reality television. Yes I know it is low-quality, maybe staged but I don't care. For the most part I can critique the character of these "stars" and feel pretty good about myself. I can come out on "top."
Trying to see an end at this comparison tunnel, I confided in a friend a little about my struggle. I'll never forget her telling me that her body image problems went away when she became a mom. She insisted that I would have more important things to worry about. Well when I did become a mom, she was right. I worried about my child sleeping, eating, surviving AND how I could avoid that awkward "congratulations!" when a stranger mistook my fat belly pudge for another pregnancy! Somehow I don't think that is what she meant.
My comparing abilities are vast and don't discriminate. I compare my childs development with others their age, my teaching abilities, and exercise routines. I see amazing pictures of homemade dinners that toddlers eat and parenting strategies. I've been known to compare Facebook friends and blog followers.....ugh shameful I know.
Perhaps the most frustrating part about comparisons is how to stop doing it. I've been told my whole Christian life that I "shouldn't" because God made me perfect in His image. I'm given several verses that support that. Or I might hear, jealousy is a result of comparisons and that's no good either so, stop. Just stop. So I try.....read my Bible a little harder, maybe take a hiatus from evil Facebook and then it's back. That's when I even compare my Christian relationship with those others that somehow can "stop" because they are just more awesome than me and my relationship with God.
The reality is comparisons happen. I often blame it on the media or on society's obsession to be skinny but the more and more I research shame and how it is prevalent in my life, I realize that comparisons are the root of shame. Shame makes me want to hide my secret search of Kim K's pant size, or that I would even use blog views or Facebook friends as a tool to make myself feel better. I don't want to admit it to myself, you, or especially God. How embarrassing to tell Him, my creator, that I'm just not satisfied with what I've been given.
Somehow I think that may be the key......reach the shame, reach the root of the issue. In order to reach the shame, I must give it to God. Man, I can only imagine how Adam and Eve felt in the garden. Come to think of it, Satan knew exactly what he was doing having Eve compare herself to God.
I never discovered the super secret answer to Kim Kardashians pant size (perhaps that is because of her shame). Yes, I was sad about that at the time but I did see the length I will go to in order to make myself feel better. I identified my source of shame, and the areas where I really excel at it. I see what the serpent puts before me. I can't say I've been vulnerable enough to give it to God, present myself completely, but I'm looking forward to that moment. Maybe, just maybe I will thank Kim Kardashian, Facebook, and reality TV for bringing me yet another step closer in becoming an authentic woman to my Creator and you.
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Very interesting viewpoint! If you think about it, comparison is what keeps us spending money to "keep up with the Jones, makes us feel inadequate as mothers, women, etc.etc. and really most often we compare our weaknesses to people's strengths. As I have gone through life's struggles, gained weight, and experienced life's joys I have finally learned to be more comfortable in my own skin. Not to say I don't have days where I get down and compare, but that's when I stop myself and take the advice of a song we sing in church:
ReplyDelete"When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.]
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end."
This has been my go to when I get overwhelmed, burdened or just downright discouraged. Thanks for your post! I really enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for your encouragement! Yes our blessings always overshadow our comparisons. Thanks for the reminder!
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