Are you as beyond tired of the polarization and judging that goes on every day about every damn topic as me!? Gees Louise. 

 

I often stay quiet in public forums like Facebook and even here with Motivation Monday.

 

You know why? Because I typically don’t have strong polarizing stances. 

 

For better or for worse I can see both sides of many arguments.

 

But these Super Bowl ass shakers in question — J-Lo and Shakira — got me stirred up with a unique viewpoint. And yeah, even with this viewpoint I’m about to share, I can still see both controversial sides. Sigh ;)

 

Let’s go back to my 20’s and early 30’s for a sec. Their ass shaking would have threatened me because I was insecure and lacked self-confidence. And, yeah, you better believe I would have been judging them up and down. I did it all the time.

 

My Inner Critic was super loud back then and do you know what a healthy Inner Critic’s favorite pastime is? Looping us into negative and positive comparison traps.

 

So, on one hand she would have said, “Whoa Kelly, you are a dumpy lard ass compared to J-Lo and Shakira and you will never have an amazing body like them!” (And BTW, I didn't even have an awful body back then, it was just my Inner Critic convincing me I did.)

 

And then in her next breath, to ease the energy-draining blow she just delivered, she would share a positive comparison to make me feel better. “But at least you’re not a slut! And I bet they starve and hate themselves!”

 

Now that’s the work of a great Inner Critic. She’s the ultimate frienamy who breaks you down as swift as she builds you up….but with a wacky, that doesn’t make any sense, approach! 

 

Because check this out.

 

Secretly I wanted to be confident and have a kick-ass body like J-Lo back in the day but you know the one thing that kept me from it? My Inner Critic. 

 

For example, every time I would say I was going to try hard and get to the gym and eat healthy my Inner Critic would play both devil and angel.

 

Devil: “Kelly you know you can’t trust yourself to stick with going to the gym and eating healthy. You’ve never succeeded in the past so what makes you think you’re going succeed this time? Face it, you’ll never have a hot body like Shakira.” 

 

Angel: “It’s really OK if you take the rest of the week off from going to the gym. And you deserve that hot fudge sundae too! You had a very stressful day today.” 

 

See how messed up that is!? 

 

Fast-forward to forties through today. I go through life with a very puny and disempowered Inner Critic. I’ve learned how to see the B.S. she’s laying down and ignore it. 

 

You know what that’s done for me? It’s given me abundant confidence and self-trust to go after bigger dreams and goals, including fitness-related ones, and win! 

 

So the Kelly of today that watched J-Lo and Shakira shaking their asses during the Super Bowl? “Hell yeah! Wow! I’m so impressed! Damn! That's sexy!” And I meant it. 

 

I saw confidence up on that stage. I saw amazing talent. And holy-hell strength and stamina. I saw women embracing their ass-shaking cultures and owning it!

 

I saw it because I’ve become it (confident). 

 

What I’ve discovered from experiencing life with and without my Inner Critic? Confidence is sexy. 

 

Working out and feeling great in your body is sexy.

 

Honoring your promises to yourself is sexy.

 

Loving yourself and taking bold on-target actions on your goals is sexy.

 

What’s never sexy? Listening to your Inner Critic’s B.S. She keeps you as far away from sexy as she possibly can.

 

So I wonder...were J-Lo and Shakira selling out up on that stage and promoting sex and porn (or whatever all the arguments are) or were they just being their bold-ass confident and sexy selves because they've learned how to live full-on without their Inner Critics' B.S. holding them back? 

 

Only they really know :) 

 

I’m curious…

 

What do you want bold confidence to do? 

 

• Shake your ass on stage? Or at least in front of your partner without being shy?

• Apply for that next-level job?

• Get the guts to leave your dead-end relationship? 

• Decide once and for all to be in the best shape of your life? 

• Trust yourself to follow through on a commitment you’ve made to yourself?

 

Say HELL YES to it you sexy thing ;) 

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