Several weeks ago I published a post about my Influenster Vitality VoxBox. Influenster is a community of people who test, review, and promote products as they see fit. If you qualify for one of their campaigns, they mail you a box containing the product(s) you will be trying. Thanks to all my friends and followers, I received my first VoxBox rather quickly and it was full of wonderful goodies. Once you receive your box, you are given a task list: write reviews, promote via social media, take pictures, etc. The best way to qualify for future Influenster product campaigns is to complete the tasks and earn more badges.
I’ve completed 9 out of the 10 tasks required to earn the Vitality VoxBox badge and for awhile I was just going to throw in the towel on the whole “Influenster thing.” You see, the last task is to “Share the secret weapon to your #BikiniReadyLifestyle.” One of the products in the Vitality VoxBox was a sample of Bikini Ready Energy Gummies. The name is pretty much self-explanatory: the gummies claim to boost metabolism and increase energy to make your body bikini ready.
I’ve fought hard to walk in recovery from an eating disorder and I know that several of my readers are fighting similar battles. Life and death battles. It seemed irresponsible of me to write a blog post on a product that plays into the struggle of so many men and women. So I wasn’t going to do it.
But as I completed more and more tasks, this one task was all that stood between me and my badge (I know this sounds a little bit dramatic, but go with it). So I read the task over again: “Share the secret weapon to your #BikiniReadyLifestyle.” As is commonly the case, I was making something simple into something quite complicated. The task wasn’t asking me to endorse a product I didn’t believe in; it was asking me to share my secret. What a great opportunity to share a piece of my journey with the blogging community in an unexpected way!
To most people, being “bikini ready” usually means being thin and tan. Not to me. To me, being “bikini ready” means being comfortable in my own skin; confident and strong. Plus, the whole tan thing…I don’t get it. Everybody knows that if you already have a tan on day one of pool season, you did not get it naturally. I go to the pool to get a tan. If you already have a tan, why are you at the pool? But I digress. Today’s mission is to reverse your concept of what “bikini ready” really means with…
My 5 Secret Weapons to a #BikiniReadyLifestyle
- Prayer. I believe in the power of prayer. No journey toward self-improvement will be successful without God’s intimate involvement in the details of each and every step. Prayer covers a multitude of weapons needed to conquer a battle. Whether your struggle is to gain, lose, or maintain weight, you will not experience victory without the healing power of God. Ephesians 6:10-16 talks about putting on the armor of God. When you’re fighting a battle, you’re going to need some armor. And God’s armor is the best you’ll ever find.
- Positive Affirmations/Truth Statements. We feed ourselves lies day in and day out. It’s habit. “I’m stupid.” “I’m ugly.” “I can’t do anything right.” “I’m worthless.” NO, NO, NO! It’s time we start speaking positive truth into our lives! “I am smart.” “I am beautiful.” “I am enough.” “I am worthy.” My personal favorite is this: “I am a daughter of the King.” I simply can’t say the words without smiling in my soul.
- A Support System. We like to pretend that we can do this on our own. We want to be independent and prove ourselves. But the truth is that we’re wired to need each other. When we’re fighting a battle, we need people who will keep us accountable, yet encourage us when we need it. We need people who believe in us and who are willing to fight with us from time to time.
- Balance. At first this number read “A Balanced Diet.” But as I started writing, I realized that the real concept that I was trying to communicate was the importance of balance. We need some balance in our lives, people. When our lives are out of balance we start to grasp desperately at things that give us a feeling of control. Food and exercise are 2 of the most common things we latch onto and it can manifest itself in a variety of ways. We should always strive for balance in life, food, exercise, sleep, work, and play.
- Vigilance. This is so important, yet frequently overlooked. We tend to celebrate once we’ve achieved our goals and we should! But the work does not end after the celebration; we need to be vigilant in all we do. We cannot become complacent or content. We must keep a watchful eye out for anything that threatens to steal away our freedom, for the battle is even harder the second or third time we fight it.
So these are the things I focus on in my attempt to feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to be confident and strong, not thin and tan. I don’t care so much whether I’m bikini ready, so much as I’m ready. Ready for whatever life brings; the good and the bad, the daunting and the serene, the laughter and the tears.
Dear Lord,
Make me strong, courageous, confident, and ready for all that you have in store for me.
Amen.
What is your secret weapon for a #BikiniReadyLifestyle?
Let’s talk real life today, guys. I’m hungry for a conversation!
Linking up with That Friday Blog Hop, Social Media Mixer, Coast to Coast Blog Post Party, Wined Down Wednesday, The Blogger’s Digest, Thoughts for Thursday, & SHINE Blog Hop!
Brittany Bullen says
Brittany,
This is so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing it. I found it through Elizabeth’s roundup post and I’m so glad I did because it made me realize I haven’t subscribed to your blog yet! Silly me. Done.
I LOVE your image. I tried to pin it, though, and it said something about invalid URL parameters…? I don’t know. Could have been on my end. Just wanted you to know, in case.
I’ll be back!
Brittany
Brittany Bullen recently posted…Super Secret Ninja Blogging Weapons All the Pros Are Using
Brittany says
Brittany! Yes, I do know about the pinning issue; it is driving me CRAZY! I just recently made the switch to WordPress from Squarespace. I had purchased my domain name through Squarespace and when I went to transfer it, I had to wait a specified number of days. I waited the days, then got halfway through the process and had to wait for a code. I’m currently in the final approval stage. Until then, my domain name (www.realisticallyoptimistic.com) gets visitors to my landing page, but once you navigate to a different post the URL changes to something crazy looking and isn’t recognized by many websites. I’m in the middle of getting it taken care of, but in the meantime…you won’t be able to pin my images :( Thanks for visiting and letting me know though…I totally want to be informed of anything my website is doing/not doing. You’re the best!
Elizabeth says
Brittany, I would like to share this on my favorite posts for September later this week. Is it ok if I use your picture with a link back?
Elizabeth recently posted…Five Things Coach Gelwix Taught Me about Being Forever Strong
Brittany says
Of course; I would be honored! Thanks for being a faithful reader :)
Elizabeth says
Love it. Bravo! Bravo. Sharing.
Elizabeth recently posted…Five Ways Fall Can Make You a Better Person
Brittany says
You are always so sweet! Thanks for reading and sharing my posts; it means the world to me! :)
Erin | It all matters mom says
How refreshing to hear your thoughts and have them point to the One who knows our worth isn’t dependent on how we look in a bikini (thank goodness). Found you from the Pig and Dac feature. Thanks for the positive words!
Erin | It All Matters Mom
Erin | It all matters mom recently posted…How to prep for freezer meals
Brittany says
Thanks so much for stopping by from the feature! I was so excited to see the picture from this blog post on Pig & Dac yesterday; mostly excited that one of the first things people would see on the page is “You are altogether BEAUTIFUL, my darling” :) I think we all need that reminder from time to time. I’m honored that you stopped by to check things out!
Rebecca says
I love how you turned your problem into an incredibly helpful solution. I received that exact VoxBox and my eyes were rolling at the Bikini ready marketing tactic. I agree with you, being bikini ready is less about having a perfect body and more about being comfortable in your own skin. I loved your secret weapons list and am so glad you linked this up to the SHINE blog hop!
Rebecca recently posted…Breaking My Back
Brittany says
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting! I’m glad I’m not the only one who got the product and rolled my eyes. You just made my day! SHINE is one of my favorite blog hops, so I’m super glad you stopped by and said hi :)
Amy says
What a beautiful, powerful post; I love your thought process. So glad I stopped by via the SHINE blog hop.
Amy recently posted…Travel Within the United States
Brittany says
Thanks for visiting from #SHINEbloghop :) And thanks for commenting, too! The thought process isn’t always smooth or pretty, but I’m usually satisfied with the end result and I’m glad that you enjoyed this post. Have a most excellent weekend!
Julia says
Hi there, I found your blog through the Thoughts for Thursday link up, and I’m so glad I did! This is wonderfully written, and I love how you incorporated your own viewpoint and experiences into the Influenster task! Well done!
Julia recently posted…Dear High School Julie,
Brittany says
Thanks for visiting from Thoughts for Thursday! It’s always exciting to hear that someone clicked on your link ;-) This post definitely took a lot of energy, but I’m so glad I stuck it out. My goal was just to get people to see a different point of view, so I’m glad you were able to appreciate the effort :)
Marina Oros says
I love this post. I also received the #vitavoxbox and your post just gave me a whole new perspective on it. While I did like the gummies and occasionally take one or two, it’s more as a snack I guess. They kick my sweet cravings but I’m adding the b12. I’ve never suffered through an eating disorder so I can speak on that personally but I understand where you are coming from and hadn’t realized how it could affect others. I think you did a fantastic thing by writing this post and keeping it real. You got to finish the tasks and share something that will be beneficial to many people!
Brittany says
Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting my blog! One thing I love about blogging is that you get a fresh perspective on a variety of topics. I’ve learned so much from my fellow bloggers. There’s no possible way that we can each experience all of life on our own. But collectively we share experiences and are always broadening our knowledge base. Thanks for being open to a new perspective. You’ve shown me some things yourself. You rock!
Sarah at Journeys of The Zoo says
I’m so happy to hear that you met your Influenster goals while staying true to yourself and your beliefs. Doesn’t get much better than that.
I found you on West Coast Mammas weekly blog hop (http://westcoastmama.net/blog-hop-11/). I look forward to staying connected via Twitter (@zoojourneys), Google + (Sarah De Diego) and Instagram (journeysofthezoo).
Besos, Sarah
Blogger at Journeys of The Zoo
Sarah at Journeys of The Zoo recently posted…Is This Considered Good Funeral Etiquette?
Brittany says
Thanks for visiting from Coast to Coast! Staying true to myself while still being an Influenster can be challenging, but I think I’ve proven to myself that it can be done! I’ll be heading over to check out your blog shortly and I know we’re already pals on Twitter and Instagram :)
J @ A Hot Southern Mess says
I think prayer and a support system are right on key. You can do anything with that team with ya! :)
Brittany says
Exactly! Family + Friends + God = Dream Team :)
Thanks for stopping by the blog!
DAD says
Once again awesome words of wisdom. I’m so proud of your faith and willingness to express and share it!
Brittany says
Awe, thank you! And thanks for giving me a good foundation in faith :)
Candice says
I love your 5 tips! I firmly believe in them. Also how you opened up the struggles of that product was inspiring. In some ways something as small as gummy weight loss things can have a big affect on the mind. Thank-you for sharing!
Brittany says
Thanks so much! I was pretty torn about what to do with it and I’m happy with the end result. I’m glad to hear that it touched you in some small way. Thanks for stopping by and visiting the blog :)