Tell the Truth

I sat down with the intention of putting into words what my experience has been like practicing as a massage student. I feel like I'm learning so much more from massage than techniques and strokes to work on a person's muscles. I get the sense that I'm learning things I need to know about being human, about the fears and insecurities people have and how to break through those feelings to strengthen and empower people. But it's hard to explain exactly what that looks like in the context of practicing massage.

This is what came out instead. This is about what I am learning, what I am seeing, and perhaps what I hope I can accomplish as a massage therapist. I only hope that in some small way I will be able to use massage as a tool to contribute some truth to other people's lives about who they are and who they can be.

Woman in the mirror

Stop shaming, demeaning, abusing

That woman in the mirror

Stop telling her how ugly she is

And how fat she is

And how unlovable she is

Stop criticizing every action and every word

Stop pointing out her failures

And negating her successes

Stop telling her lies about who she is

Because she believes you

Woman in the mirror

When you tell her untruths about who she is as a woman

She believes you

And then she begins to walk out in the world

Telling other people how unlovable she is

She begins proclaiming her un-worth to all who can hear

She begins to apologize for everything she can’t do

For everything she doesn’t have

For all that she feels she can never be

And she feels as though she must make up for it somehow

She’ll start accepting when other people

Put her in her place, push her down, push her around

When her friends walk all over her

She’ll blame herself and feel certain she deserves it

When she finds a good man

She won’t let herself stay because she knows

She’s not good enough for him

When she finds the wrong man

She won’t let herself tell him he’s wrong

When he tells her she’s nothing

Woman in the mirror

Change your story, learn a new mantra

To replace she’s ugly, fat, stupid and lazy

Change your story to the truth

Tell the woman in the mirror

How very unique and special she is

Tell her that there is no one on the planet

That can fill the role she plays

No one on earth who can love people the way she loves

No one who has the same laugh or the same smile

No one who thinks the exact same thoughts

Or has the same perspective on the world

Tell her about her potential

About all the things she can do with her life

When she learns to believe in herself

And see her own value

And learns how to love herself

Tell her that she can do anything and be anything

And she is worth the time and the energy and the love

To make it happen

Woman in the mirror

Tell the truth, shout it out loud if you have to