It was a really close call…I was in line to check out before sanity reclaimed my brain. Last week, I almost crossed the line of totally living in denial -- by buying my first set of Spanx!
For the uninitiated, Spanx are the fat-altering savior of middle-aged women, which would be me. The story behind Spanx is quite inspirational. Sara Blakely took her life savings of $5,000 to create footless pantyhose and body shapers after she couldn’t find any on the market. That was in 2000 and today Spanx is a multi-million dollar company with Blakely now the world’s youngest self-made billionaire. Oh, and in 2010, they started making Spanx for men!
But I digress…There is most definitely a pair of Spanx in my future, no doubt about it. I am all for utilizing any tool possible to feel better about one’s self. I just don’t think that I have honestly done all I can, however, to avoid needing the extra help to squeeze it all in.
You know how we say that we’ll go back to the gym after the holidays? Yeah, haven’t really done that. I have been better about eating but my vanity goes further than that. Honestly, I don’t think my brain has totally accepted that my body is no longer 25 years old, can’t eat and drink whatever I want and still have a flat stomach. Nope, I’ve gone from a size 4 to a 10 now, and I’m trying my best to be cute about it.
That challenge is that after a life of being uber-thin, I don’t really know how to be a normal sized person. I still think I can wear the latest fashions, which are not necessarily designed for someone my age. I love fashion – it’s like playing dress up for adults! But I need to get my brain to realize that like the 9” heels, it’s time to alter my self-perception and accept that I am middle-aged. Ouch!
So that’s why I didn’t buy the Spanx. The reality is that I would wear them for the wrong reasons (laziness) and until I can accept where and why I am, I really need to come to grips with what I am in the mid stage of life.
It’s been said that life isn’t about discovering yourself – it’s about creating yourself. What about you? Have you had a “Spanx” moment? How will you create yourself in 2013? What will be different? What will you claim and love? Let us know how you are evolving as a truly Spirited Woman!
Allison Blankenship, http://www.allisonspeaks.com, http://www.UpsideTheBook.com
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