Here’s part two of my interview with author, speaker and teen and tween advocate Deborah Reber. Debbie also writes a valuable blog for girls and young women called Smart Girls Know.

(For instance, check out her spot-on post on the Vogue Paris controversy.)

Yesterday, we talked about bullying, body image and stress.

Below, Debbie discusses how teens can have a positive body image, become media literate and get empowered and so much more!

One incident has stayed in my mind for well over a decade.

When I was about 11 or 12, living in Brooklyn, my best friend, another friend and I were rollerblading to the park.

My friend and I were holding onto each other, because my rollerblading skills, well, sucked.

As we wobbled to the sidewalk, two kids from my junior high school crossed the street and started cursing at us in Russian. (My family has never used Russian curses in our home, but I could make out a few of the words, and I knew they weren’t good.)

I had this horribly get-me-the-heck-out-of-here feeling in my stomach.

I was petrified and felt like I was shaking all over. (I probably was.)

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Mondays can be rough for many of us, and this doesn’t create the ideal environment for building a better body image. To help you turn that around, every Monday features a tip, activity, inspiring quote or some other tidbit to help boost your body image – and kick-start the week on a positive note.

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. I’d love to hear from you!

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Beautiful lilies

A smiling musician plays

My heart with a hole

Living with purpose – that is finding your passion – is pivotal for a positive body image.

I’ve talked before about the importance of creating a life mission statement.

In her book, Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance, Rosie Molinary writes, “Mission statements allow you to voice what you want for yourself, how you want to be in the world, what matters to you, and your dreams.”

When writing her own mission statement, Rosie used life coach Nicole Greer’s one-sentence formula. It includes:

• a core value (something that’s most important to you)
• what you innately do and describing it in three verbs
• and identifying “who you are most meant to serve in this world,” according to Greer.

Below, in the last part of our interview, Rosie talks about the importance of a positive body image to your life’s purpose and how we can empower each other. Plus, you’ll learn Rosie’s mission statement.

(Read part one and part two of our interview.)

Below is part two of my interview with body image expert and author Rosie Molinary. Rosie wrote the fabulous book Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance.

Here, Rosie provides insight into what helped her build a positive body image and fulfilling life. She also emphasizes the importance of looking within and offers several suggestions for boosting our body image.

If you haven’t already, check out part one of our interview on radical self-acceptance.

Building self-acceptance and a positive body image is a daily process. Like anything else, it’s a process with ups and downs.

It’s taken me a very long time to accept myself and appreciate my body.

I still have times when the appreciation escapes me, but those are few now.

And those times when we don’t feel so great are OK. We use those as learning experiences and try to move on.

But we still need a good foundation of solid self-acceptance and a positive body image.

I’m thrilled to present my interview with Rosie Molinary, author of Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance. (I received a free copy.) This book is packed with thoughtful and inspiring activities that help readers build a more positive body image and self-image overall every day for one year.

Below, Rosie talks about her own journey to self-acceptance and gives readers suggestions for finding self-acceptance, too.

Stay tuned for part two of our interview tomorrow!

Mondays can be rough for many of us, and this doesn’t create the ideal environment for building a better body image. To help you turn that around, every Monday features a tip, activity, inspiring quote or some other tidbit to help boost your body image – and kick-start the week on a positive note.

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. I’d love to hear from you!

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Many people think they aren’t creative, because they’re not a good enough artist or writer. Or because they don’t do anything artsy to begin with.

Many people think creativity means being an expert painter, poet or photographer. Or having a skill or a talent.

Creativity is also associated with being impractical or immature.

It’s something you do as a child, and then abandon as an adult because you’ve got real life to deal with.

“If you’re alive, you’re creative. If you’re alive, you’re an artist,” writes Patti Digh in her book, Creative is a Verb: If You’re Alive, You’re Creative. I absolutely love this.

You may be wondering what the heck creativity has to do with body image in the first place.