Focusing on the inward

As I've talked to people/parents/my husband about what causes a young girl to grow up so focused on her outward appearance, I've drawn the conclusion that it's what she sees that becomes what she considers normal. If her mother is focused on her outward appearance, so she will be. If her father is constantly commenting on outward appearances of her mom, other women, or she herself, she will find that is what is worthy to a man.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has noticed this, and this author is making a conscious effort to focus on inward characteristics when talking to young girls.

I know my own mom didn't talk much about her appearance or what physically made her self-conscious, and I believe that I owe her for the self-confidence and high values I hold on other characteristics.

Do you think what we talk about to or in front of young children makes a difference in how they develop their worldview?


How much did your parents focus on outward vs. inward characteristics and how do you think that affected you?

What sparked my return to Digknity

Digknity has been in the back of my mind for years, just waiting for the appropriate motivation or maybe just the realization that I can't put it off any longer. I'm not sure where this will lead, but for now I know that I need to write.

So blogging commences.

And it started with this trailer for a documentary being made possible with Kickstarter. It's about sex trafficking in the United States. What really struck me was the retelling of how a pimp finds underage girls at the mall around the 0:56 mark. Ambassador Swanee Hunt (founder of Demand Abolition) relays:

"An FBI agent was interviewing a pimp, so he said, 'Where do you find your girls?' And he said, 'I go to a shopping mall. And I look around for a girl who's by herself and I say, "You know, you have really pretty eyes."' And if she looks him back in the face and says, 'Well, thanks,' then he said, 'I just keep going.' And if she looks down at her feet and says, 'No, I don't.' He said, 'I know I've got her.'"

As I've been learning more about human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking of young girls, I'm convinced that a significant step that we can take in fighting this atrocity is building confidence and a healthy self-perspective into our young women. I realize that there is SO MUCH MORE to this issue and so many more drastic measures that need to be implemented, but this small aspect is something I'm passionate about and something we can work to change right here and now. I assure you that we will dive deeper into this discussion.

For now, I invite you to support Trade In Hope's film and let me know your thoughts on the trailer.

Have you ever considered that here in the U.S., your child is not protected from being kidnapped and sold into slavery? What measures are you taking or would you take to protect them?

As a girl, can you point to any instances or people who shaped your self esteem and how you view yourself and your worth? How do you consciously interact with your daughter or your sister or your friends to ensure that you're not perpetuating the cycle?