Eating Disorder ProAna Blogger Focused on Body Image and Self Esteem

Check out my new blog dedicated to body image and self esteem. This is a collective blog, there are five contributors, soon to be more. I tried to pull together various different voices from the body image blogosphere – from fitness, to fat acceptance, to weight loss, and more.

WeAreTheRealDeal.com

If you have a chance, pop back over here and tell me your thoughts….like everything else its a work in progress.

Thanks!
mamaV
P.S. If you would like to be a contributor on WeAreTheRealDeal send an email to realdealgirls@gmail.com

On my way to Chicago, presenting a session
Blogs and Body Image: What are we teaching our kids?
All that YOU have taught me over the past 3 years has prepared me for this- and I could not be more grateful.
Question for you- what is the #1 thing parents should never do or say to their children in regards to eating/weight?
Love, MV X0X0
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Brown apologized for beating the living crap out of his girlfriend Rhianna.

Took him 5 months.

The apology self-preservation video is nothing more than a career saving move. His expression fake, while he read from a teleprompter for goodness sake.

HERE'S THE REAL DEAL GIRLS:
1) If he hits you once – he will do it again. Statistics prove it again and again.

2) Brown's fan base is teenagers, primarily young girls. Do you think parents of these young women are really going to drive their beloved daughters to see some scumbag girl beater? Not happening.

3) In know, I know – Brown came from a family of domestic violence (as did Rhianna). Then he should have seen the warning signs, and did something about it prior to the incident.

Do you really think a person goes from 0 to 60 in an instant?

No way.

This dude has been brewing for a while, probably pushing and slapping, and spouting verbal abuse – all while telling himself and his girlfriend it was "no big deal."

It is a big deal isn't it Chris? Your fresh faced-million dollar career is in the toilet and it's not coming back.

Here's the message:

ANY physical contact between a couple, friends or family members is not acceptable.

No one touches you.

No one.

You hold this level of respect for yourself and you will get it.

No exceptions.

-mV
XO

What do you think about girls, some as young as 9, visiting an "image consultant?"

I think it's whacked (plus look at the lady in the image coaching the kid).

Can we not just allow our kids to just grow up semi-naturally? Do we have to plan and organize and assist with every move they make?

The Washington Post reports on this hot young market in "The Minor Makeover;"

"In the past couple of years, the market of 12-to-20-year olds has
absolutely grown," says Los Angeles stylist and image consultant Abby
Michelle Moll, who works with adult clients and their kids. "It's being
driven by the media and the Internet."

The Post goes on to report that reality shows like "How Do I Look?" and "What Not to Wear" usually
center on the remarkable before-and-after transformations of the
participants. Maybe it was only a matter of time before the trend hit
teens and preteens. The idea of perpetually camera-ready teens is what
youth market analysts call KGOY, "kids getting older younger," which
is, of course, no new phenomenon. 

Jezebel's perspective on this trend is spot on;

"It seems a little strange that some of the issues re: self-esteem
are being addressed externally as opposed to internally."

Ya think?!

Let me tell you something – kids have a style of their own. They figure out this stuff on their own. From my 6 year old son demanding to wear ONLY silky sports shorts and tank tops (with no undies or free-balling as he likes to call it), to my 9 year old daughter mixing together the oddest get ups you've ever seen – and she looks so dang cool.

Parents, let's not butt in on this process.

Hold back on shoving what is likely YOUR insecurities on your kids.

Let''s give them a chance to grow into who they are meant to be.

-mV

Image: My babies on the pier up north just a few days ago.

I am spending the week in a glorious cabin with my husband, kids and parents; boating, fishing, eating, drinking, laughing, and unplugging.

We saw Green Day earlier this week in Chicago, and I nearly peed my pants. Tenth row, thanks to my wonderful husband, an event to celebrate our 40th birthdays (we were born 11 days apart). You would not have recognized me with black eyes, lips, and nails – fake lip ring….kind of scary but I liked how I looked (hey, everyone needs an alter ego right?). Crappy image I took with my crackberry at right (better than nothin')

Today, I headed to Girl Scout Camp leading fifteen third graders on a great summer adventure. I look forward to this opportunity all year long, a tradition we have shared since they were in Kindergarten, and I can guarantee I will be balling the closing flag goes down the last day.

Tomorrow the girls will bury me in the sand by the pond, while the other moms stand by afraid to put their suits on (but that is another story), and then on to the final celebration where the girls throw pies in my face.

Love it, love it, love it.

At left, is a poster I found hanging in one of the cabins today…we have got to start working on 'em early.

Next week, I am gearing up for BlogHer, thee blog event of the year held in Chicago. I have never attended so it should be interesting. I assembled a panel of bloggers that I feel represent the body image perspective from all angles, and I am proud to say we won the vote to host a "Room of Our Own" session, sponsored by the Dove Self Esteem Fund titled;

Blogs & Body Image: What are we teaching our kids?

Be sure to swing by if you are attending BlogHer!

Check out these talkers while I am away…lots to learn from them;

MizFitOnline
Carla has become a buddy of mine, she has one heck of a following, and as you can see she is in phenomenal shape. At left is Carla's pipe featuring her trademark tagline – "Unapologetically Myself"  -which we will all be tattooing on our bodies for the session.

KateHarding
Queen of the fat acceptance blogosphere, Kate spouts her intelligent, controversial, f-bomb ridden "Shapely Prose" on her well respected blog. Her views on fat discrimination, truths about fat and health, and the B.S about BMI are must reads.

Claire Mysko
Author, expert on "girl psychology, and creator of the "Healthy Beauty Pledge, designed to be a formal commitment for those looking to breed positive body image for themselves and others. Read more about her new book coming out in October 2009, dedicated to Moms And Moms To Be.

Ronisweigh

The before and after pics of Roni are simply amazing. A mom, and an inspiration to those who desire to adapt a healthy lifestyle.

Stay tuned for the launch of a collective blog on positive body image featuring the bloggers above. More on this next week.

Unplugged for now, hope all is well gang!

mV

While listening to The Sean Hannity radio show while driving home last night, I heard an interesting discussion on Sarah Palin's resignation.

A male caller from Brooklyn weighed in with his wisdom;

"She's too good looking for politics, she will never be taken seriously."

Hannity responded;

"Do you really believe that?"

Brooklyn boy;

"Yeah, to make it as Senator, or to the Presidential level, you have to look like Hillary Clinton or Madeline Albright."

Here Jezebel puts in their two cents on the good, bad, ugly on Palin.

I'd like to hear your take on this…your honest take. Here's mine;

I'm with Brooklyn boy. Hate to say it, but this is the way the world works. An attractive woman needs to work twice as hard to prove she is intelligent. Once she proves it, she is always proving it, she is never off the hook.

I've worked in a male dominated business my entire career. I hid my modeling past for this very reason- who the hell is going to take me seriously in high tech with that background?

The Rules:
1) Always downplay your looks. Wear pantsuits, stand tall and intimidate them with self confidence.

2) No girlie stuff – nix the heavy makeup, long nails and pumps. Pull your hair back, and hold the perfume.

3) Flirting is a bad move, there's no place for it. None.

4) Be tough, direct and non apologetic.

5) And most importantly – cry and you're dead.

I cried once in my entire career. I tried like hell to hold it in, but the issue being discussed impacted my children (I missed part of their Halloween due to business travel) only to come back to my a-hole boss ranking on me about why I didn't stay on site.

Good news is those four tears were followed by the first and only time I dropped an f-bomb in business. The tears dried up, I freaked on the guy, and had him literally begging me to settle down and asking me what I needed (he was scared as hell I was going to quit because I was his top sales person).

In the end I got him….but I still regret crying.

Bottomline: good looks can play to your advantage in business situations, but when you get to the Executive Level, you find yourself standing in a hole that you never stop digging out of.

I have a feeling I may get hammered on this one, so pound away,
mV

Never, ever have I considered implants.

Even after they were offered FREE! from my enduring Paris agent, the King Haddad.

First thought;

"No frickin' way."  (damn smart for a 16 year old kid I might say)

Next thought;

"Make me a sports model, they never have big boobs." (quick con job)

Just like the The King was convinced. He laid off of me from that day on….only to go on to pester and ultimately convince other teenage girls to go for his sickly offer.

I realize at 36B, I am not the norm, as I regularly read and see, day in and day out, women of every shape and size whining about wanting fuller-scarier-freakier-in-your-face fakes.

So, I continue to bring to the forefront stories about desperately driven women who thought these alien boobs were the answer to their dreams but ended up with a complete and total, physical and mental disaster on their hands.

I bring you Christa D'Souza…..

Wonderfully beautiful, elegant Christa D'Souza, who was once obsessed with making her glorious, tight, firm sexy breasts huge as hell, and ended up mutating her body. A body that continually rejected the man made creations;

Not one time

Not two times.

We're talking three times.

And then moved on to breast cancer.

She proceeded with this beauty massacre mission against her partners advice, against her mothers approval, and basically against all common sense

In her own words;

"It doesn't matter how many times you've done it, how safe you feel in
your fabulous surgeon's hands, and how 'normal' breast implants are in
certain social spheres, it's a very violent, brutal experience having
someone slice into your nipples, shove those strange hand-warmer-like
things inside you and then sew them up again with a needle and thread."

This wisdom gained only after she endured years of pain and suffering only to end up back at ground zero.

"The answer I have come up with is to have those wretched implants
out, make do with the little breast tissue I have, accept that I am
going to have quite considerable scarring . . . and be virtually
flat-chested.

Having gone through all the trouble and
expense of implants to make myself look younger, the irony is I'll have
the same-shaped bosom I had when I was 12. And I can't wait."

I'll end by saying what most of you are thinking after seeing D'Souza's image;

The only part of her that seems to have aged is her face. Her skin, and what we can see of her breasts look smooth as silk, yet her face is strained and hollow.

That is a face of turmoil.

A face and psyche of needless self induced turmoil.

Does she resemble the face in the mirror?

If the answer is yes, I highly recommend you take the time to read Sweet Machine's synopsis of this story. Then print it out, fold it up in your wallet, and make a commitment to reading it DAILY until YOU figure out the REAL reason those fake boobs are so damn important.

mV

XO

I don't know where I have been, but nearly every single bit of news since Michael Jackson's death is shocking me…drug addict, bankrupt, anorexic?

The thought of any one individual going through such turmoil is so sad and disturbing isn't it?

He was probably the saddest case of body dimorphic disorder (BDD) since Jocelyn Wildenstein and he has always been super thin….but I guess it never even dawned on me he could have an eating disorder.

Weird.

If Jackson did indeed have anorexia, it makes this story all the more horrible. Thinking of him alone suffering with such a disease, on top of all the other things the guy had working against him.

My children have been asking all sorts of questions about Jackson;

"I thought Michael Jackson was black?"

"Why is he so skinny?'

"Why was he doing drugs?"

"Why do his kids have towels on their face?"

"That's the same person?" while looking at Jackson as a boy and now.

And possibly the hardest one to respond to "She's pretty."

What is a parent to say?

The truth.

Just like every other question your children come up with – I believe you just have to be real;

"Michael was a major, major child star, performing when he was a very young boy – younger than you guys are now. His dad wasn't kind, and I've heard he made Michael take medicine that only girls should have, that made his voice stay high pitched. Michael couldn't go anywhere without being followed, questioned, photographed, and judged. He took pain killers after an accident, and got addicted to them because they made him forget about his problems and lack of self esteem. Thats why he kept changing what he looked like - first he thought his nose wasn't thin enough, then his skin wasn't white enough, so be basically spent his entire life trying to be someone else."

I obviously left out two major points;

The child molestation accusations and possible anorexia…both inappropriate topics for their age 6 and 9.

The whole situation has just left me thinking about what an odd culture we are; we idolize people to the point that we kill them. Michael Jackson never had a chance, but he did have a choice didn't he?

And so do we.

I don't know about you, but I am keeping the Jackson coverage to a minimum in my home. If this freaks us out, can you imagine how bizarre all of this seems to a child?

-mV

PAGE IN DEVELOPMENT

In the meantime, read my updated mission before writing me to tell me I am full of it.

Email address is mamaVISION@gmail.com

Thanks to tipster Amy for sending me this lovely story about CK. This is a great example of how we all wear certain designer clothes, but we don’t really think about their advertising do we?

Here I mean the bad side of their advertising.

Have you ever boycotted a certain brand because their ads were demeaning, gross, or semi-pornish like this little diddy which was deemed over the top…even in NYC;

Let’s see…that’s 1, 2, 3 guys on what appears to be a teenish-girl.

Nothing new for the designer who has dedicated his career to pushing the envelope starting with Brooke Shields at 15.

I felt odd viewing this one, because from my perspective, EVERY designer has been posing children like this, for decades actually, and no one really cares.

Below we have a “Secret Obsession” ad that can’t mean anything other than – I am into an affair with a kid.

Now this next one is a video, what was literally banned. Banned because it features kids, in a creepy-old-wood-paneled basement answering the questions of some panting pervert (watch the whole thing).

I gotta be honest guys, it kind of scared me that this didn’t freak me out.

But it gave me a flashback.

This is exactly what it was like to be a model, especially in Paris (minus the paneling). You are a piece of meat, with some gross guy telling you how to move, stand up, sit down, nice ass, show me your tits, give me your self-respect, hand over your modesty, don’t be such a prude.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZVk21Pco-c&hl=en&fs=1&]

Ahh, the good old days.
mV

PS I had to end with this dude. Where did they rescue him from – the Circus? They could have at least let him take a shower.

The blogosphere is on fire over Bacardi's "Get An Ugly Girlfriend" Campaign. Barcardi pulled down the web site promoting the campaign and here is the company response:

"Thank you for taking the time to post your story on Bacardi Breezer.

The campaign you are referring to ran in 2008 for two months in
Israel. Even though Bacardi Breezer is not sold or distributed in the
United States, we immediately notified the appropriate Bacardi
affiliate and had this website shut down.

Bacardi proudly celebrates diversity and we do not endorse the views
of this site. We sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by this
site and thank you for bringing it to our attention."

- Sean-Patrick Hillman of bacardi.com, June 21, 2009 via Sweet Machine.

Ok Mr. Sean nice blanket response, a few questions for you;

1) You are the Bacardi publicist. Where is the Corporate Big Dog that should be responding to this?

2) Your twitter response to this "crisis" was unnecessary….as a publicist we would think you would know to shut your yapper.

3) McCann Digital Israel obviously didn't get any slap on the hand about the Ugly Girlfriend campaign seeing that they submitted it to The Cannes Lions Festival (THE annual event for top advertising creative), even twittering about it on Saturday June 12 to gloat about the catalog. 

4) AXE is also a client of McCann Digital Israel, in fact they just won a Bronze in the Platinum category at Cannes for their work, didn't that give Bacardi a clue they were a real class act?

5) I see Bacardi's female CMO Stella David just got canned after 15 years with the company…I wonder what she thought of this campaign?

Start digging man, this could get uglier.

mV

UPDATE 6/22 4pmCST: Sean Hillmann pulled down the tweet shown above. I wonder why? Maybe because Rachel at FWordblog and I stalked him

I've asked McCann Israel for more info on their award submission for The Ugly Girlfriend Campaign, let's see what they come back with.

Want to look hotter? Find a fat, ugly friend to stand next to, and bring on the Bacardi Breezers!

Jezebel found this doozie of a campaign created by some lumps from McCann Digital in Israel.

The site suggests that like Bacardi Breezers, ugly friends come in
several different varieties, and women should go ahead and use them to appear more
attractive in social situations.

The copy reads as follows;

"Lucy's rubbing thighs, magically combined with a sticking out jaw and drooping breasts will turn any trip to the mall into an unforgettable experience. Shop like never before with your own freckled pile of cellulite."

On to Sally who gives you the attractive edge because shes "97 kilograms of femininity, strength and double chins. No tire can disguise the lumpy rolls decorating that body. Look your best without every visiting the gym!"

Since when does a marketing campaign targeted to women use fat hatred and our body image wars to sell products? Seems an odd strategy to me, I mean, what kind of woman would think this crap is funny?

-mV

The editor of Vogue has accused some of the world’s leading catwalk
designers of pushing ever thinner models into fashion magazines despite
widespread public concern over “size-zero” models and rising teenage
anorexia.

Alexandra Shulman, one of the most important figures in the multi-billion-pound
fashion industry, has taken on all the largest fashion houses in a strongly
worded letter sent to scores of designers in Europe and America. In a letter
not intended for publication but seen by The Times, Shulman accuses
designers of making magazines hire models with “jutting bones and no breasts
or hips” by supplying them with “minuscule” garments for their photoshoots. Vogue
is now frequently “retouching” photographs to make models look larger, she
said.

Her intervention was hailed last night as a turning point in the debate over
model size that has raged after the deaths of three models from
complications relating to malnutrition, and the decision of leading fashion
shows to ban size-zero models.

“We have now reached the point where many of the sample sizes don’t
comfortably fit even the established star models,” Shulman writes, in a
letter sent to Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano and fellow designers at Prada,
Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Balen- ciaga and other top fashion houses.The
supermodel Erin O’Connor described the stand by the editor of Britain’s most
prominent fashion magazine as “a huge breakthrough”.

Reality TV’s Battle of the Bods doesn’t need an introduction. The logo looks like it took all of 10 minutes for the designer to slap together, and the show itself is one of the most degrading I have seen.

But hey – women sign up for this crap.

Here is a classy clip where the female contestants shake their money maker, while the guys watch, rate, and salivate.

(Trust me, its worth sitting through the annoying video ad that can’t be skipped before the show comes on)

I’m telling you one thing – as a parent, there is no way I’d have this type of programming pumped into my household. If you think these shows don’t impact the self esteem and body image of your daughters, let alone your son’s attitudes towards the women in his life, you are fooling yourself.

MAJOR, MAJOR news on the thinspiration front ladies!

Nivea has come out with this breakthrough firming cream that will get you back in your skinny jeans!

"Discover your favorite jeans, and how they still get his attention," is the tagline with the print ad featuring a woman admiring herself in the mirror while her boyfriend eyes her up in the mirror.

Translation: This firming cream will make your skinny jeans fit.

Really? So firming our skin, will make our legs thinner.

 Wow- so you are guaranteed to win back the attention of your boyfriend who called you a lard ass last week and completely blew you off – what more could you ask for!

PLUS – this product is backed by Denise Richards! She is one classy lady… she doesn't have time to promote a bogus product (not to brag or anything but after using this product I actually look EXACTLY her in my skinny jeans).

TIP: Although the product doesn't recommend it, I went ahead and  slathered this stuff everywhere. Face, arms, stomach, neck – I am talking a full body rub down (note: hives, itching, irritation, agitation, frustration, and constipation are normal side effects, rare but serious side effects include inability to swallow, breathing problems, temporary blindness, night sweats, and panic attacks, but generally subside within 6-9 months).

Don't let the silly side effects scare you, because at this very moment, I am wearing my Sasson jeans from 6th grade. YeeeHaa! Nothing can stop me now!

The miracle we have hoped and prayed for has arrived ladies,and I can only thank the good lord above for Nivea, Denise Richards, and Tyra Banks who will be featuring the Nivia Challenge Winner on her show (you didn't hear this from me, but you just might know the person!!!)

I can finally, finally live again because now, finally now –

I am good enough.
I am pretty enough,
and dog-gone it, people like me!

-mV

Marianne at The Rotund clued me into the latest totally irritating commercial promoting the "thin is in" message.

Purex is running a new ad called "The Thinner Load", starting with the tagline "As things get better, they get thinner."

Since when? How does this relate to laundry detergent, washing clothes, or anything remotely relevant to this product?

Check this out; I grabbed a few screenshots to demonstrate the concept here, see the entire commercial here.

First, we see an old-fashioned wide assed gown..

Evolving to more reasonable female garb…

On to 90s career wear….

And finally, the perfect little skinny skirt reflective of today.

Well, aren't we lucky. Lucky to live in a day and age that we have ad agency guru's sitting around dreaming up this irrelevant crap, being paid a shit-load to do it, and as a result impacting the psyche of the entire female population.

Thinner is not better.
It never has been.
It never will be.

Being YOU is better.
It always has been.
It always will be.

We know this. We hear this. We believe this….but we are so damn gullible, its hard for advertisers to resist pressing our buttons.

So, can we really blame them?

-mV

A. Kate Harding's Arch-Enemy
B. Nut-job with nice hair
C. Anti-Obesity Advocate
D. All of the above

If you answered D, you are correct!

Roth is the President of National Action Against Obesity  (NAAO), a group dedicated to;

-Reversing the obesity crisis by eliminating disease and
obesity-accelerators from the food supply.

-Barring junk food from
child care centers, preschools, and schools.

-Eradicating
Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the
next, as well as from citizen to citizen).

-Encouraging exercise
across all ages.

NAAO believes success relies upon wholly re-imagining what the U.S.
population considers “normal” food consumption and “normal” exercise.
They believe that when the majority is overweight, America cannot be normal.

So far, so good in my opinion….but from here she goes off the deep end.

-She is a woman who admits to "not eating until she has exercised."(so be it if she doesn't get to the gym until 4 o'clock in the afternoon).

-She is a mother of two girls who is surely screwing with their precious little heads, which will undoubtedly result in a life time of deprogramming.

-She describes obesity as "abuse of our children and ourselves." This seems to be over the top language to attract attention to her cause. Can't blame her…America loves this crap…say something outrageous and you are sure to be booked on O'Reilly the next day.

-She is a total poser which only serves to reduce her credibility.

Here's my take on the topic after much research and a mother of two happy, healthy children;

-Obesity is part hereditary, some of us are born with the tendency to weigh on the heavy side – I don't believe this is a choice nor is it a sin. Roth comes from an obese family, as does her husband – but based on her lifestyle is she really "living life" with the obsessive exercise and calorie restriction it takes her to remain thin?

-Obesity can be an eating disorder, psychological in nature, and not a deliberate act on the part of the overweight individual. To call it "abuse" is just plain ignorant and cruel.

  -Obesity is  a result of capitalism and marketing. The almighty dollar rules, so we are fed products pumped with every chemical known to man in an effort to make us salivate for more. More education is the key here.

BUT – at the end of the day, we all make choices. There is no one shoving junk food down our throats. As adults and parents we have a responsibility to:

-Educate ourselves on which foods are healthy, natural and good for our physical and mental well being.

-Teach our children about the basic food pyramid, make regular home cooked meals in order to practice what we preach, while also allowing treats to be a normal, regular part of our daily diet.

-Live a balanced life, joining our children in activities and sports,  encouraging mental and physical well being.

Bottom line,  MeMe is all about MeMe. Her message is irresponsible and self serving. She needs to come to the solid midwestern community I live in, to see a whole different world of responsible parents, nutrition based school programs, and active healthy kids that don't need to be protected from the big, bad food industry as Ms. Roth would lead us to believe.

Where do you stand on the issue?

-mV

UPDATE 6/5/09
More on MeMe thanks to Rachael

This eye opening post thanks to Sweet Machine "It's Hard To Be MeMe"

After reading the Anti-Cancer diet, I took a walk down the deodorant aisle at Walmart to find one that does not contain aluminum. How many did I find?

None.

Actually, the store brands don't just contain aluminum, it is the one and only ingredient listed on the package. To be exact, they read either aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium.

Aluminum is a toxic metal.

A toxic metal we roll, rub and spray on our freshly shaved armpits every single day.

Our female shaving routine literally primes our armpits for absorption of this toxin, the area of our bodies that just so happen to house the lymph nodes for our breasts.

Breast cancer is only one of the risks, add on to that proven risks for Alzheimer and brain disorders.

• In 1993, the World Health Organization said, "There is a
  suspected link between Alzheimer's disease and the toxicity of
  aluminum."
• The Agency for Toxic Substances and &
  Disease Registry reports that "Exposure to high levels of aluminum may
  result in respiratory and neurological problems."

Why is this product on the shelf? Because it's America, and no one gives a damn. Collect the dollars, and keep your mouth shut.

If you are like me, you are going to RUN out to buy an alternative, but you will have to hunt for it. Here is what appears to be our options;

• Deodorant stones: never heard of these until I sat down to write this post. Has anyone used  these?
• Natural deodorants: I found Burt's Bee's has an herbal based option and this crystal version appears popular. Again, does anyone have advice to lend on here?

For those who want more info on this topic, check out this post. I've read enough. Enough to know I'm not trusting anyone with my health anymore.

Knowledge is power.
-mV

Next up: Let's Count The Carcinogens In Our Makeup!

I've noticed that the eating disordered types tend to not get pissed off. At least not in front of anyone of value in their lives.

Perfection is the reoccurring theme.

Gotta please everyone or the world will come to an end.

Unworthiness tends to be the reason stated for such a lack of confidence….but what happens to anger?

This post is about how to get angry.

And then use that anger to your advantage. Use it to get motivated. Use it to get off your butt and stand up for yourself.

These thoughts are brought to you by Green Day, my all time favorite band, the one that makes me act like a groupie, screaming my heart out.  Their sound is hard, rough, punk-ish – and really, really pissed off.

The guys that reamed out Walmart for banning their latest CD because it was a bit to REAL for them. The ones that are coming to Chicago in July and my husband got sixteenth row tickets because I told him to spare no expense so he went to a broker and got them for a small fortune but worth every penny.

I can't get enough of it, and the odd thing is the music relaxes me.

I blare their loud as hell tunes in my car or on my iPod while I work, and my brain goes into some sort of trance as I visualize all the wrong doing in my life both real and imaginary. I mean, when a song starts with the line "I'm not f-ing around," you know these punks are speaking our language!

They make me float way to la-la land so I can lambaste all the boneheads in my life that are full of crap yet they have the power. All the suits from the past that were so totally out of line and ignorant, yet I had to play their game, while I devised a scheme to stick it to em. Sort of.

So what is your deal?

Who are you pissed off at?

When do you let yourself blow?

And most of all – do you allow yourself to think, even for a moment, that perhaps you are not the one that is wrong? Maybe you have a good head on your shoulders and the role models in your life suck?

Think about it.
Then find your way to let off steam.
You'll be one hell of a lot better for it.

And maybe, just maybe, you will start to realize you have one hell of a lot to offer, and you will stop wasting your life trying to please all the losers in this world.

-mV

XO

PS Catch Green Day TONIGHT on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien 10:30CST/11:30EST – UPDATE HERES THE VIDEO…kinda super mellow version of them, guess they had to tone it down for the mass audience.