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Hello Beautiful Actionists!

Better Late Than Never

I can’t believe we are already over a week into a soon to be Obama presidency and I haven’t gotten my act together to post something new on the website or send out a congratulations e mail to everyone because we are indeed entering into a great time of change, transformation, and I hope, healing in this country. I have been hard at work on the road touring with the Dove Self-Esteem Fund, conducting workshops in over 20 cities in the US, reaching girls and their mentors and hoping to plant some seeds of inspiration in communities who are committed to helping girls and women become more confident.

There are some days I wake up (different hotel, different city) and I honestly can’t remember where I am. But as my eyes and body begin to catch up with each other I soon see that while each city may not look exactly the same, each person I am reaching has so much in common. They are all girls on the verge of greatness. Women juggling many roles and dreams. And when we come together for one of our Dove workshops I find that miracles are happening all around us. For one, I actually can get a group of 100 girls in a gym to stop giggling and whispering to each other to pay attention to me for 90 minutes (miracle!). We hear from girls who are balancing who they want to with who they think they should be. They are looking for confidence and identity at a time in their life where everything is all about image. They are trying on costume after costume in search of what role they are to play in the world. And for our time together they are challenged to think critically and take action in their everyday lives. And they do! At the end of the workshops I am exhausted and exhilarated and whether I’ve been to Minneapolis or Miami, these girls always fuel me with hope, love, and a lot of promise. I take these stories home with me and think about them well after our time together is over.

I’ve also been conducting workshops for mentors and trainers (anyone who works with girls in their schools or community groups.) And the miracles aren’t just limited to the girl’s workshops. Countless times we have teachers and educators come up to me afterward and share a story that hasn’t been healed from their childhood. They are motivated to bring these tools of self-esteem into their communities and to create conversations of empowerment and encouragement with the young women in their lives. I know that after a workshop they are taking these ideas and tools into their communities and the seeds continue to be planted on their home turf.

I know that many of us will be traveling to our homes this holiday season, the places where we grew up or spent a lot of time in our younger years. Some of us will invite others into our homes or for the first time (like me) you’ll be making new traditions with people in your life you are building a home with. No matter where you go I hope you can find a moment or two to make some peace with where you are. We are truly in a new time of change and transition and I for one, am vowing to do things a bit differently this year. I will listen more to the people I love. I will ease up on that negative voice in my head (usually the critic!) and I will make sure I speak words of love to the people I value. Telling a good friend why you adore them. Making sure your sweetie knows they are valued. Expressing to your children what they are doing well and how proud you are of their growth. Let’s make peace at home this year and let’s appreciate that we all have a blessed space to lay our heads down in. This is a very difficult time for most Americans struggling to keep their homes or pay their mortgages or rent. So let’s do all we can to support each other in making it through the tough moments together.

I am feeling very proud of all of us right now. And that’s why I am choosing this month’s featured Actionist® to be The American Voter. We did something unprecedented this year. We chose a candidate who brought us into the multi-cultural 21st century, a candidate who is articulate and intelligent and inspiring. We came out in record numbers, we put our votes where our hearts are and we did it. Whether Barack Obama was your candidate of choice or not – you voted. And I am exceptionally proud of the young people who voted in record numbers. There are still many social hurdles for us to jump over in the years ahead. While we chose progress in one area we restricted civil liberties in another. My love for this country and its citizens has never been stronger – so I pay tribute to all of us for being the true definition of an Actionist® - taking action in our everyday lives.

I keep promising that we’ll have big changes under way on our website and I promise we will!! It has been a joy to really re-envision what I’d like this web world to look like and I can’t wait to include your feedback and ideas. So thanks for being patient with my terribly lame lateness in posting things. And thanks as always for being such a great community of powerful souls and for all your amazing support! Keep checking back for more updates!

Lots of love and Gobble Gobble!

Jess is a Featured Real Beauty on RealBeautyIs.com!

Check out Jess's interview below, and visit RealBeautyIs.com
for more ways to embrace your perfectly imperfect self!

I am a Real Beauty because…
"I am not afraid to be messy. Life is messy, emotions are messy, and being real can be messy."
 
I am most beautiful when…
"I am being most true to myself and the people around me. Honesty makes you glow."


If I were not afraid I would…
"Climb the rest of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I stopped at 150 feet because I am terrified of heights.


Today I celebrated my beauty by…
"Promising myself I’ll go to bed early tonight!! I need at least 8 hours or I’m grumpy!"


My advice to a young woman struggling
with her body image and self-esteem is…
"See the big picture. Remember that you are more than your face, your belly, your legs. You are a whole and complete person and your body is just the package that your soul comes in. One of the deepest sighs of relief you’ll ever have is when you finally accept that you aren’t perfect and you never will be. Embrace who you are – now – incomplete, imperfect, and messy." :)