Confidence is an accessory that works perfectly with any outfit. I wish that I had more of it when I was younger. But it seems confidence is one of those things you earn with age. I’ll take the duller skin, the slower metabolism and the weekend-long hang-overs in return for greater confidence.
It was on sale. A bright pink bikini with rouching in all the right places. The promise of an enhanced bust and minimised thighs. I hadn’t worn a bikini since my eldest was born, pregnancies being the exception. When I was proud to display my burgeoning belly in all its glory.
I tried the bikini on. And judged the woman in the mirror in front of me. The slight belly. The saddlebags. The flabby bits under my arms. The dimpled thighs. The deflated breasts. Read more
For a long time I was convinced the only real difference between men and women was anatomy and up-bringing. That we were conditionally brought up to expect and act within certain norms according to gender. For me, that idea fell away once I had sons. They act like boys. They act nothing like their little girl peers. Nature is, it seems, stronger than nurture. I got to wondering how those innate differences play in the way women and men value themselves. And how that impacts inequality between the sexes.
I am about to change my life. My inner cheer-leader is finally going to be louder than my inner critic. I am going to extend the kindness I show to those around me, inward. I am going to turn around my struggle with self belief.
Because the wonderful thing about beliefs is that they can be changed. I can alter the way I think about things. I can change my perspective.
With the happy news that Offspring might make it back to our screens, I thought I’d imagine Nina and Billie chatting about self-belief and identity after having children. People seem to forgive me taking liberties with Sex & the City, and I hope you are gracious enough to allow me some Offspring indulgence (and conveniently conspiring to give the Proudman sisters daughters of the same age).
Source: Network Ten
Since we last caught up with the Proudmans, Leo and Nina are very much together, although not married. They have a baby girl. Abigail was a welcome surprise and is now four months old. Nina has taken maternity leave to spend time with her and Zoe. After deciding she couldn’t leave Zoe permanently, Billie agreed to holiday for a few months in London with Mick. Whilst there, they decided to try for a baby, one last time, with Andrew’s help. Happily, they fell pregnant and are back in Melbourne raising their daughter. Imogen is five months old. Read more
This post has been sponsored by Bupa
Murphy is alive and well in our household. If I drop the toast, it will be butter-side down. The morning of my twenty year high-school reunion, I broke out in acne reminiscent of my seventeen-year old self. And the week my family signed up for the Bupa family challenge supporting Healthy Harold, we were hit by the dreaded Brisbane flu.
But we persevered and will take some of the challenges with us into healthier weeks. That’s the great thing about the Bupa challenges – you can easily extend them beyond the suggested week. In fact, hopefully they result in changed habits so that you extend them into life in general.
