#RespectBeforeBeauty (rant)

The majority of girls do it. We wear the short dresses, the ones that are way more than four inches above the knee. There are more girls who post pictures with their cleavage showing or how big their butt is #mygoodies and less women posting pictures about their family, friends, degree, work, charity and religion.

What happened? Where did our respect go? Yes, we all want to look beautiful. We all want to feel adored. But when you post all those "sexy" photos you are gaining the attention of boys that don't see you as a person. You come off as cheap. You give the impression that it is ok for them to treat you as a sexual object. NEWSFLASH: Little respect is given to a girl who leaves little to the imagination. There is no personal worth of "100 likes" when you lose that respect.

I'd like to hear more women embracing their looks. I sell formal gowns to women. I do pageants with women. I am surrounded by these beautiful women who have been fat shaming and not respecting who they are. READ THIS: You are more than the size on a tag. You are more beautiful and loved than you can begin to imagine. You are worth calling beautiful. And it greatly saddens me that you don't know that.

This media driven culture has warped our idea of beauty. It frustrates me to the n-th degree that being a certain shape is more attractive than another. We are not all gray blobs! There are people starving in the world and you are pointing out the little bit of fat surrounding your lower abdominal area rather than embracing it. Be thankful you ate today. Be thankful your "belly" isn't "fat" from being swollen because your stomach is grinding away at it's own empty self.

Have some respect for YOURSELF. You are beautiful. You are fortunate. You deserve to be treated for much more than what you look like. You should be loved for who you are as a person.

No one will respect you if you don't respect yourself first. Yes, we'll slip and call ourselves ugly but we have to remember we are more than our beauty. 

#RespectBeforeBeauty

Respect yourself. When you wake up in the morning just remember that you are beautiful. Before you put on your make-up you are beautiful. Each time you catch your reflection you are beautiful. The days you feel as if life is coming to an end just think you are beautiful. Have respect for yourself. Be beautiful. 

Respect other women. Too often we compare ourselves to other people. Remember that you have good things going on in your life too! Compliment other women. Accept the compliments you receive. Be positive. Be happy. Be beautiful.

This is my plea, ALWAYS put respect before beauty. Before you call yourself ugly. Before you post a selfie. Before you go to the gym. Before you wear that micro miniskirt out to the club. Just remember, #RespectBeforeBeauty.

xoxo.