I am curious. Do you have blue periods? Personal I know. But please, if you in fact have blue periods email me (actually call your doctor first)! You alone could be the reason that TV and print commercials represent the womens’ period with blue liquid instead of well…..you know. See? There I go myself—censoring the reality of what it means to be a woman!
As I watch my husband and his fellow male comrades become unnaturally emotional and “wrapped up” in Ultimate Fighting on TV, I wonder to myself, “Why is the copious amounts of blood squirting from that man’s head wound not digitally altered to be blue as well?” I know the technology MUST exist! Ultimate Fighting blood okay. Violent scenes on TV showing mass murder apparently acceptable–BUT a woman’s period? Heaven forbid! Totally inappropriate (according to the awe inspiring power of THEY)

Some more food for thought. If aliens had access only to our media I am sure they would come up with the following conclusions about the female gender of the human species:
• Women love to clean all white kitchens and bathrooms wearing beige slacks and pastel blue button up cotton blouses.
• The female totally organic experience can easily be achieved through shampooing with Herbal Essence.
• Diets make us confident, beautiful, energized, positively radiant and HAPPY
• Ladies enjoy removing body hair (remember the commercial for the Epilady? Ya, that’s a good time!)
• We strive to be easy, breezy, beautiful….cover girls.
• Women LOVE LOVE LOVE minivans.
• Mothers NEVER show even a flicker of frustration or annoyance when their children spill liquids on their light carpet.
And yes of course–Women have blue periods!

MEDIA’s representation of women is far from reality. In fact, media, friends, family members and our culture come together to support a persuasive sense of being flawed. No wonder we have several generations of women now destructively consumed with self-image. I have watched my mother struggle, to this day, with a poor sense of body image. Her self-depreciating attitude for over 30 thirty years has driven her to CONTINUALLY “try out” out one diet after another. Growing up I absorbed some of this attitude, and although she was always the first to tell me how pretty, smart and wonderful I was, I still remember looking in the mirror as a child and loathing my little kid chubbiness.

Okay Mom, DON’T feel guilty now. My struggles with body-image were born from an eclectic mix of influences and life experiences. I know for sure that, when my classmate in grade 4 looked at me while I was changing for gym class and said with disgust “You are so FAT!”, her words left a lasting impression on my psyche! Almost as bad as my Twinkie eating experience at the roller-skating rink….

I work with and have met some AMAZINGLY SUCCESSFUL women in businesses who still struggle personally with a profound negative body-image. In some ways, their “unhappiness” with how they LOOK steals from the pride and satisfaction they should experience as strong, confident women in their professional lives.

Does this describe you?
Do you ever look back on your younger days and wonder…”Why was I so hard on myself?” Hindsight is full of life’s wisest lessons.

If we could bottle up the time and money so many of us gals have spent on trying to find the happiness of unattainable beauty, I am sure we could find feed an entire third world nation for many, many years!
So as you navigate through your day as a busy momma and woman in business remember this—YOUR periods are NOT blue. 100% of magazine covers are digitally altered. Other people’s kids probably were not toilet trained overnight like they say. A clean and orderly house is not the definition of domestic success. You do not have to be thin, toned, and tanned.

Most importantly, try to appreciate that how we feel about our entire experience as women (from our looks to our business savvy) all rely on our daily thoughts on how we VALUE who we are.

Take a moment today…I know…I know…. YOU ARE BUSY! If you can, take 15 minutes and brainstorm three things you would like to do for yourself. Activities that make you happy. For me this would be a shopping with a latte in hand (kid free for 1 hour), a short hike with some girly friends and a date with my honey. It’s so important to WRITE THEM DOWN so you can stay focused on your goals. These three HAPPINESS OBJECTIVES are now your god-given right to be explored. Check them off as you go. Feel the sweet taste of personal success with each objective you follow through with.
I would LOVE to hear what your three HAPPINESS OBJECTIVES are! Please comment with your own ideas (this will help others). I’ll keep you posted on my experiences and I hope you will to!

Trisha Miltimore is a national speaker, mom of two princesses, radio announcer and retail business owner. Her passion for EMPOWERING Mompreneurs and youth takes her across Canada spreading her message on the POWER OF KARMA (Knowledge, Attitude, Respect, Motivation and Action!).
momcafé members receive a special discount on all of Trisha’s programs,
see www.contagious.ca for more information