Juleeta C. Harvey

Empowering Women to Believe Body Truth

Grateful Moments

Body Truth : Maya Angelou Speaks it Phenomenally

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In the poem below, “Phenomenal Woman,” Maya Angelou paints a picture of radiance. This image, by Kyle Loftus, gives us a glimpse of what she writes about in the third stanza — “the sun of my smile.”

This sultry, swaggering, stirring collection of words by the one and only Maya Angelou will beckon you to read and reread again.  Her poetry is full of vivid language, and her writing style is unmatched.  I hope you, my reader, find a smirky kind of smile on your face as you discover this gleaming gem — her poem, “Phenomenal Woman.”  Maybe you’ll even see your yourself in it.  Your lovely body as a gift, meant to stun the world with its beauty.

My praises to you, Ms. Angelou.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
—
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
—
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
—
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
—
Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman” from And Still I Rise. Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

 

Bodytruth: A New Way

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Here’s to summer, splashing wildly in new waters! Thanks for capturing this image, @dankapeter.

I probably should not do this, but I’m going to give it a try.

I’ve been saying that alot lately.

But I can’t get this new word out of my mind.  It keeps poking at me like a teenage boy, always hungry and refusing to be satisfied unless I respond.  In the past, I have been quick to respond, staying up all night to find a solution to a problem, a satisfactory reply to the new idea rattling in my head.

However, writing the book proposal has been a call to slow down and think differently.  Lately, writing has been less like a frenzied response to a craving and more like the slow opening of an oyster shell.

The outside of the oyster, covered in sand, barely protrudes from the coastal surface.  But once the beachcomber picks up her newly found treasure and cleanses it in the ocean’s incoming waves, the shell’s surface glimmers iridescent patterns — lavender, bright blues and subtle pinks.

And then begins the anticipation.  [Read more…] about Bodytruth: A New Way

The First Step to Making Any Change

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Taken as Sue’s, this image reminds me that timely change spurs beauty.

Change is happening here.

I have been writing about Seeking God’s Truth about Body Image for a year and a half. Crafting these stories has empowered me to believe something new.

I was meant to write.

I know this because when I am not writing, I’m not myself.

Myself is this girl with whom I’ve become more intimately acquainted over the last few years. After having spent some real time with her lately, I believe I’m starting to like her.

Sometimes she laughs for too long, and recently, her loud cackle has [Read more…] about The First Step to Making Any Change

Loving the Mom Body I Have : How Color Helped Me See My Body Anew

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When I catch a sideways glance at myself, sometimes it’s just after coming out of the shower on the way to my closet. Most of my body is exposed.  Under my eyelids and around my hippy section, I see evidence that my Mommy body is changing. Yes, as we grow up, our bodies prove that no living thing is exempt from the effects of the universe’s gravitational pull.

Bu more often than not, when I see my reflection staring back from the mirror’s glimpse, I am not so exposed.  I have dressed for the morning, or maybe even for the day ahead, and I see myself clothed.  Sometimes, I celebrate very simple accomplishments.  I changed out of my pajamas…into my favorite sweatpants.  And then there are days that I discipline myself to pull up my favorite jeans and choose a happy pair of earrings to accompany my grey V-neck.  With or without makeup to brighten my skin tone, at least I’ve chosen to get dressed.

To be completely honest, I’ve noticed the clothes I’m wearing predispose how I see myself in the day ahead. Why is this the case?

I think this is true, not just for me, but for most of us: The clothes we wear impact how we feel about our bodies.

Specifically, the color and style of the clothes we wear impact how we feel about our bodies.

Over the last year, I have scrutinized the process of “knowing your colors.” After witnessing a dozen or so friends complete their color analysis with House of Colour, I can say this.  It’s not hogwash.  I’m not rolling my eyes when I hear them mention buying something from their color palette. I’ve seen them simplify and simultaneously improve their wardrobes after having completed the analysis. It’s proven.  By knowing their colors, these women know how to do the work that leads to loving what is in your closet.

And you know what?  They’re not enjoying the clothes in their closets more because they lost weight.  Not one of them is shopping better because she suddenly has more glamourous facial features or a fresh, younger-looking hairstyle.

What has each woman chosen to do?  She has chosen to invest in Herself — without changing any thing about her body.  [Read more…] about Loving the Mom Body I Have : How Color Helped Me See My Body Anew

What Do We Tell the Next Generation?

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Palm branches and truth celebrate Easter. I LOVE the images from this photographer, @anniespratt .

What do we tell the next generation?

Psalm 78:4 guides us gently into the right answer.

“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, the wonders he has done.”

In these last few months, I am listening more than I ever have.

New stories have humbled and challenged me.  Some stories are from teenage girls, others are spoken from the voices of exhausted young mothers, and even more are emerging from women, single and married, who are carrying heavy work hours and serving in their communities.  I have made new friends with women I would have never known, and their stories are the jewels that sparkle Hope in this season of writing and sharing. [Read more…] about What Do We Tell the Next Generation?

Living in My Best Beachbody

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The beachfront view from our room, where the ocean meets the sky.

 

Beachbody is a word, ya’ll.

When I typed the two words, “beach body,” in the space offered by social media’s detective magnifying glass, the Internet offered a few responses like what I expected.

But I admit, I was surprised to see that “beachbody” actually functions like a single noun, all by itself. At least it exists in the Google search engine and various social media outlets. What does that mean for healthy body image? [Read more…] about Living in My Best Beachbody