What Do You Love About Yourself?

No lists, please!:wink:
I work with a bunch of women. My friends are mostly women (although I do have several male friends). My family is comprised and controlled these days mostly of women (although growing up, it was very much populated with and centered around the men). I, myself, am a woman.

I’ve noticed that a lot of women’s conversations consist of discussions of their faults. And while I can be self-deprecating with the best of them, I’d much rather focus on what is good about life and good about me.

They start a conversation with “My butt is getting so big! I have to lose weight, woe is me!” I reply with “Oh honey, a little padonkadonk is a good thing, you should be happy. What if you had a flat butt, like so many unfortunates? I have a big butt [not fat, mind you, just ample for my frame] and I like it. And I like a man who likes a woman with a big butt.”

I’m met with frowns and dismissive waves of the hand. "Oh,

Goddammit- new computer and keyboard and I just can’t get used to it.

Crap!

Anyways, they wave a dismissal at me and tell me I’m weird. They are disappointed that I don’t want to play the “what’s wrong with me” game.

For some reason, weird really since I grew up in an abusive household and by all rights should be the most bitter, depraved, self-hating woman this side of Vegas. But I’m not. Must have been the years of therapy.

Anyway, I love about myself that I am able to see and accept myself for who and what I am. I don’t fight my “flaws”, I embrace them and see them as assets. After all, I’m not a raging asshole, so there’s really no reason to see myself or anything about myself as “bad”.

Maybe this is just what comes as a woman gets older and learns how to live better. At any rate, I’m liking it. A lot.

What do you love about yourself?

Physically, not so much, because I am getting old and flabby and I have inherited my mother’s lousy dermatological condition/s which gives me dry and flaky skin AND nasty little basal cell carcinomas. I’ve got one on my (already big) nose at the moment that will be addressed by a plastic surgeon in about 4 weeks.

Even though I’m on the slender side of fat, I’ve got shapeless ankles and tits-like-two-fried-eggs. And my feet are bigger than the mean average too. My hair is fine and dead straight and I have to pluck/shave the old-man hairs that sprout out of my chin every morning.

What?

Oh, you wanted the GOOD stuff!!

That IS the stuff I love about myself. It’s all real, no silicone made my feet bigger.

:smiley:

Incredible smile. I even have dimples. Great hair, great skin. And thank goodness too, because I am Frumpy, old and homely. :smiley:

Everything of course.

And I am incredibly humble.

What’s not to love about that?

Ooo, but that’s not what they’re really doing. Take a gander at the chapter on status in the theatre book, Impro. They’re either a)simply fishing for compliments, or b)engaging in a series of status transactions, in which they each try to “feel out” everyone else’s status and beat each other down obliquely

A: I’m so fat.

B: You’re fat? I’m fat too. As a matter of fact, I’m so fat (and it’s so much not my fault) that I go to the gym fourteen times a week, eat bird food and I still look like this! (you’re not so special. I’m worse off.)

C: Yeah? Well, I haven’t eaten since Christmas, and my bf percentage is still sitting firmly at 82! (I’m even WORSE off!)

D: Yeah, it’s the obesity epidemic. It’s all society’s fault. I was reading this medical study last night and it said that our bodies are better-suited to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. (I am at least as badly-off, BUT I’m smarter, because I read Reader’s Digest!)

The book did this much better, but I’ve loaned it to someone.

I love the fact that these days I can set goals and reach them, and that challenges no longer scare the bejeezus out of me. I like the bod I inhabit, it heals up fast and helps me get to the places I need to go. Quite fond of my brain, as well. Earns me the money I get to keep myself sustained and pay my debts, plus it helps me appreciate really cool things in this life.

Perhaps you have more perspective and understand what it’s really like to dislike yourself.

I’m witty and intelligent, and I do like that.

I too grew up in a less than pleasant home. Fat through puberty, all I ever heard at home was how ugly I was. I believed it. “Grew into” my body around 19, and for about 5 years, I was quite the looker. Had a kid, got the body back. LOST the body when it became clear that the kid wasn’t OK (he’s severely autistic), because comfort food really is comforting.

Still fat, BUT, I have a natural ability to make those around me laugh. If I miss a day of work, people actually tell me they missed me.

I’m crafty! I knit, crochet, scrapbook, etc. But right now, making jewelry is my go-to craft.

After several bad choices, I finally found a super-duper guy. And I married him. And I like that I’m not afraid of all the fun things he likes to do (like riding his motorcycle).

Oh yeah, and I have really cool hair, thanks to my awesome stylist (I take no credit, as I never tell her what to do to my hair.)

My brother, my 49 year old brother still pouts and acts like a stuborn teen at times.

I on the other hand, can always screw a smile on my face in the direst of circumstances. I don’t dump on other people, and I don’t ruin other peoples day if I’m having a bad one.

I love that I’m tall and slender…didn’t used to be…finally got there though…I’m 5’10" and a size 8.

I love that I’m intelligent.

I think what I love most about myself, though is that I’m honest, kind and have a wicked sense of humor.

Smart and interesting people like me.

:slight_smile:

I’m smart, funny, honest, and delightfully bitchy, when the occasion calls for it. Other people enjoy my company, and so do I.

I’m a great mom and a good friend. I’m emotionally mature, financially stable, and intellectually curious. I’m also pretty darned attractive, if I do say so myself. In fact, I thoroughly rock.

Of course, I lack humility. But I can live with only *approaching * perfection. :wink:

I love that I’m smart enough to enjoy the intellectual wonders this world offers and avoid being exploited by others (generally).

I love my ability to empathize with others. I think I’m kinder and more patient than average…although certainly no saint.

I love my inner strength. In my younger days I experienced a lot of pain, family dysfunction, and loss. There were many sad, lonely times when I had nobody to count on…except myself. Fortunately, that was enough to survive…and even flourish nowadays. :slight_smile: That’s why I think this thread topic is a great idea: You gotta love yourself, because you’re the one person you can always completely count on to be there for you.

The best compliment I ever received was when a friend told me what a “strong woman” he thought I was. I salute everyone else out there who has recovered from a painful/difficult childhood to build a happy, functional adult life.

Excellent answer! Me too!

Plus I have a sturdy body that serves me well; I’m strong and healthy and have the capacity for pleasure. (Apparently not everyone does.) Plus really, really thick hair and a great smile. Ooh, and killer legs. (And big tits, which doesn’t impress me particularly but which seems to appeal to men, which can definitely work to my advantage :wink: .)

Eh, maybe, but I am not buying it. Most of the women I know have conversations for sympathy, not status and one-up-manship. See Deborah Tannen’s You Just Don’t Understand. Women talk to establish relationships, whereas men do so to establish heirachy.

As for what I love about myself, I love my committment to doing what is right.

I don’t have tits. Can I love yours?

I’m smart and I’m funny.

:slight_smile:

I’m a really good friend. That’s what they tell me, anyway. :slight_smile:

And I give good advice. I’ve always been the person people go to for relationship and career counseling. I thought of starting to charge for it, but that probably would take away from the being a good friend part, above. :smiley:

I also have great hair, can make people laugh, and can run in high heels.