The Friday Four, Part 105

~1~

A couple of weeks ago, I highlighted the first episode of A Path Appears, a three-part PBS miniseries based on Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book of the same name.  Here are Part 2, focused on poverty, and Part 3, about domestic violence.  Again, in each of the episodes, I love the focus on what people are doing to help, the programs that are working and changing lives around the world.

They all expire on Monday, February 16, so if you haven't watched them yet, get on it!

~2~

This is an interesting TED talk about how "perception is a subjective experience" and "what we think we see is actually filtered through our own mind's eye."  She applies this concept specifically to how different people experience exercise, but it has really wide applications beyond that.

~3~

I really like how Beauty Redefined is reframing ideas of beauty and modesty in healthy and empowering ways, educating people how to actively combat the negative messages we get about body image from the media and other sources.  Here's a recent post of theirs on that oft-maligned piece of clothing: leggings. Some of the money quotes:

...you could never be clothed perfectly enough to ensure everyone perceives you the way you intend to be perceived. You could never obscure your shape or essence or beauty enough to prevent someone from having sexual thoughts about you and blaming you for those thoughts. That is because objectification happens in the eye and mind of the beholder.You are the only one who can control whether you objectify another person...

Self-objectification works as a harmful tool to keep girls and women “in their place” as objects of sexual appeal and beauty, which seriously limits their ability to think freely and understand their value in a world so in need of their unique contributions and insight...

Research shows a level of “modesty” or less-revealing/more-covered clothing can be an important tool in safe-guarding ourselves from being in a constant state of self-objectification. This idea of “modesty” and less-revealing/more-covered clothing will inevitably vary from person to person and culture to culture — maybe even dramatically. That does not matter. We have got to stop worrying about everyone else’s choices and start focusing on our own. You get to decide what “modest” clothing means for you. For some, leggings will fit very squarely in the category of covered and comfortable. For others, leggings will make them feel exposed, uncovered and uncomfortable, which fuels self-objectification. You get to decide how leggings make you feel. Other people also get to decide how your leggings make them feel. But you don’t have to carry that burden. They need to do that.

Good stuff.

~4~

This has been a rough and stressful week with some unpleasant surprises.  So yesterday I treated myself to a pedicure.  It's been too long since my last one and I decided to get a little whimsical with the nail art for Valentine's Day.

Life just seems a little brighter when I have soft, happy feet and pretty toes.