"You are not your bra-size, nor are you the width of your waist, nor are you the slenderness of your calves. You are not your hair color, your skin color, nor are you a shade of lipstick. Your shoe-size is of no consequence. You are not defined by the amount of attention you get from males, females, or any combination thereof. You are not the number of sit-ups you can do, nor are you the number of calories in a day. You are not your mustache. You are not the hair on your legs. You are not a little red dress. You are no amalgam of these things.
You are the content of your character. You are the ambitions that drive you. You are the goals that you set. You are the things that you laugh at and the words that you say. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder. You are beautiful and desirable not for the clique you attend, but for the spark of life within you that compels you to make your life a full and meaningful one. You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries."
— Unknown
23.3.11
12.2.11
About Rock Red Shoes
The mission of Rock Red Shoes is to ignite a worldwide confidence movement among women. My research and personal struggle for self-acceptance has prompted me to do more than sit passively on the sidelines as so many of today's women, young and old, waste precious time and talent striving (in vain) toward perfection.
Studies show that while eating disorders, disorted body image and low self-esteem have been around for centuries, the number of women affected has skyrocketed in recent decades. And I, for one, have had enough.
I believe when previous generations fought hard to pave a road to limitless possibilities, they did it so women today would be free to pursue our passions. Not perfection.
When the women of the past were making sacrifices so that their daughters, grand-daughters, great-grand daughters would have a chance at a better future, I doubt they were envisioning a world with shows like BridalPlasty and pro-eating disorder sites such as Pro-Ana. A world where young starlets waste away right before our eyes, little girls start worrying about caloric intake before they even hit puberty, and college women exhaust their brains and bodies in an attempt to be the thinnest and the smartest while also excelling in more extracurriculars than anyone else. A world where thousands of women, of all ages, can't remember a time when they were comfortable in their own skin.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to being healthy -- exercising and eating balanced, nutritious meals. I applaud determination and commitment toward goals. What I have a problem with are the extremes. Too many young girls and women have lost the balance that is necessary for sanity and happiness.
For over 16 years I have struggled with body image, eating disorders, overexercise, and overextending myself in general as I try to find an inner peace. And I'm over it. I'm sick of this constant battle. I've been dreaming of the day when I can look in the mirror and absolutely love what I see. When I'm able to say that I am totally happy with myself, just the way I am. So in February of 2011, I decided to stop dreaming.
I started Rock Red Shoes. My first idea was The Red Heel Society, a play off of The Red Hat Society for older women. I love the attitude and sass of the ladies who join The Red Hat Society and I wanted to create something similar for women of all ages.
But then I realized not everyone loves to wear heels like I do. So I contemplated changing it to The Red Shoe Society. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at it, that name was already taken. So I mulled over it some more and came up with Rock Red Shoes.
I don't have the answer to total confidence. But I do know that when I put on a pair of red high heels, I walk taller, both literally and figuratively. The boldness of the color somehow makes me feel more confident. So much so that I don't just wear red shoes, I rock them. They are my signal to the world that I've got my game on. And no one, is going to bring me down.
That's the kind of feeling I want to invoke in anyone who visits this site. I'll contribute some of my own thoughts and writings, but it will primarily be a place to share what makes you feel confident. How do you celebrate yourself, your life? What do you want your friends, sisters, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, cousins, to know?
I'll be posting relevant articles, songs, quotes, etc. as well as soliciting essays from awesome women I know. And I definitely want to encourage you to contact me if you want to share your story.
Alright I think that pretty well covers it! Thank you so much for visiting Rock Red Shoes. I hope you will join me in igniting this worldwide confidence movement. Again, please don't hesitate to contact me if you want to share what makes you confident.
Karen Bower
Below are just a few resources that inspired me to start this site:
A video from Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty.
Courtney E. Martin's book: Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The frightening new normalcy of hating your body.
Leonard Sax's book: Girls on the Edge: The four factors driving the new crisis for girls.
Studies show that while eating disorders, disorted body image and low self-esteem have been around for centuries, the number of women affected has skyrocketed in recent decades. And I, for one, have had enough.
I believe when previous generations fought hard to pave a road to limitless possibilities, they did it so women today would be free to pursue our passions. Not perfection.
When the women of the past were making sacrifices so that their daughters, grand-daughters, great-grand daughters would have a chance at a better future, I doubt they were envisioning a world with shows like BridalPlasty and pro-eating disorder sites such as Pro-Ana. A world where young starlets waste away right before our eyes, little girls start worrying about caloric intake before they even hit puberty, and college women exhaust their brains and bodies in an attempt to be the thinnest and the smartest while also excelling in more extracurriculars than anyone else. A world where thousands of women, of all ages, can't remember a time when they were comfortable in their own skin.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to being healthy -- exercising and eating balanced, nutritious meals. I applaud determination and commitment toward goals. What I have a problem with are the extremes. Too many young girls and women have lost the balance that is necessary for sanity and happiness.
For over 16 years I have struggled with body image, eating disorders, overexercise, and overextending myself in general as I try to find an inner peace. And I'm over it. I'm sick of this constant battle. I've been dreaming of the day when I can look in the mirror and absolutely love what I see. When I'm able to say that I am totally happy with myself, just the way I am. So in February of 2011, I decided to stop dreaming.
I started Rock Red Shoes. My first idea was The Red Heel Society, a play off of The Red Hat Society for older women. I love the attitude and sass of the ladies who join The Red Hat Society and I wanted to create something similar for women of all ages.
But then I realized not everyone loves to wear heels like I do. So I contemplated changing it to The Red Shoe Society. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at it, that name was already taken. So I mulled over it some more and came up with Rock Red Shoes.
I don't have the answer to total confidence. But I do know that when I put on a pair of red high heels, I walk taller, both literally and figuratively. The boldness of the color somehow makes me feel more confident. So much so that I don't just wear red shoes, I rock them. They are my signal to the world that I've got my game on. And no one, is going to bring me down.
That's the kind of feeling I want to invoke in anyone who visits this site. I'll contribute some of my own thoughts and writings, but it will primarily be a place to share what makes you feel confident. How do you celebrate yourself, your life? What do you want your friends, sisters, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, cousins, to know?
I'll be posting relevant articles, songs, quotes, etc. as well as soliciting essays from awesome women I know. And I definitely want to encourage you to contact me if you want to share your story.
Alright I think that pretty well covers it! Thank you so much for visiting Rock Red Shoes. I hope you will join me in igniting this worldwide confidence movement. Again, please don't hesitate to contact me if you want to share what makes you confident.
Karen Bower
Below are just a few resources that inspired me to start this site:
A video from Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty.
Courtney E. Martin's book: Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The frightening new normalcy of hating your body.
Leonard Sax's book: Girls on the Edge: The four factors driving the new crisis for girls.
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