There’s one thing that makes me lurch out of bed each day and make every single moment count:
Death.
I know it’s a tricky topic. And it’s not something we usually talk about in the feel-good, positive-vibe world of helping people embrace their bodies.
But there’s actually a link between how we feel about our bodies and how we think about death. Research shows that reflecting on death can help people, especially women, embrace their bodies and prioritise living over ‘looking good’.
This research made me ask myself some big questions. What do I want to be remembered for? The size of my jeans, or the size of my heart? The sparkle of my teeth, or the sparkle in my eyes?
When all is said and done, you’re not remembered for how you looked, you’re remembered for how you lived — the way you made people feel, the adventures you had, and the kindness you showed.
That’s why we made the Start Living campaign. It features a confronting video of a eulogy, where a woman is being remembered for her physical traits. It’s jarring, but it makes the point: why do we spend so much of our lives worrying about how we look when all that really matters is what we do?
Watch the video.
This powerful video was played more than 2 million times in its first month. At the end, it encourages parents to download the Flip the Script Guide — a handy language guide covering how to talk to kids about bodies, food, and weight to prevent body image issues being passed onto the next generation.
I’m so grateful to @showponyadvertising for bringing this campaign to life — thank you from the bottom of my heart!
It’s time to start living.
Image and violence against women. The objectification of women is seen everywhere — in films, the music industry and social media. The commentary we hear about high profile women also often involves vicious and gendered attacks about their appearance. This attitude — that women are things to be looked at, rather than respected and listened to — leads to a foundational problem in how women are treated.
