Happy Birthday, Beautiful You!

A year ago today, Beautiful You launched, and a movement towards self-acceptance began.  My dream with Beautiful You was to gently, thoughtfully, and passionately guide women towards embracing themselves, moving past self-limiting beliefs, and arriving at a place of self-acceptance.  Over this past year, many women have shared the difference the journey has made in their lives and, today, I want to encourage you to begin the journey if you haven’t yet.

The value of Beautiful You is that it meets you where you are, it allows you to move at your own pace– you can tackle it once a day, a few times a day, once a week, or as the urge calls.  It guides your in your journey, has you illuminate your experience, motives, and dreams, and then coaches you into moving past limiting self-beliefs, allowing you to arrive at the place that is most true:  You are amazing.  You have so much to offer.  And the world is waiting for you.  Beautiful You is a wonderful resource for everyone– those who have been doing this work for a long time but know that acquiring tools in your tool kit is only a benefit and those who are just beginning to consider what should go in their tool kit.

What People Are Saying About Beautiful You…

I have been ruthless in my self abuse talk.  The concept of radical self-acceptance was so foreign to me.  I always told myself how ugly I was….how unworthy I was.  I wasn’t pretty enough, thin enough, good enough.  Just this past summer I ran across Beautiful You and Rosie’s blog.  I felt a complete paradigm shift happen in my mind.  I have been my own worst enemy.  I ordered Beautiful You right away.  It gives you baby steps on your journey.  The damage that has been done is overwhelming and bit by bit, we can be gentle and loving toward ourselves.   ~Jamie English

I live in England and am on Day 90 of your book Beautiful You.  I didn’t think I could commit myself to anything like this but I look forward to doing it every day and am hungry for more.  Thank you so much for being able to pass on so many simple, but well thought out ways (which you would not think of yourself) of accepting the person you are.  My husband is fully supportive and gives a little grin each time I say “well, actually my new way of thinking is  ……” He is loving it too and he has been hearing me go on for the last 38 years about my butt, my tummy and my insecurities.  I have to admit I don’t want to reach Day 365 too soon but am reveling in it all. One of my friends is a counsellor and is going to suggest that some of her clients purchase it.  THANK YOU!   ~Sue Lovesy, aged 56, living inside a bit larger than average vehicle* but rapidly getting to enjoy and relish it and accept she will never live inside a very small car and to stop worrying about it!

* For those of you who haven’t read Beautiful You, Sue’s vehicle metaphor is a reference to Day 11 in Beautiful You.

I love this book, it has great exercises that are simple but remind you on a daily basis of how as women we sabotage ourselves and are our own worst critics. There are daily affirmations to help us be better to ourselves and other women and less critical of our outer selves and concentrate on what our inner selves look like. It is like having a real, meaningful and authentic conversation with a good friend who is trying to show us the error of our ways. Awesome book for both adult women and certainly something I would get for my teenage daughters (if i had any)to help them combat the images they get in our sexualized, media driven society.  ~Jocelyn

I loved it from the start. Reading the book reminded me of that one friend you have that always makes you feel better about who you are, what you are doing and the life you are leading. The friend encourages you, pats you on the back, extols grace and exudes positivity. This is a great book to read daily not only to accept yourself but to smile, laugh and remember that life shouldn’t be so crazy. I love the daily readings and the activities that go along with them. Each action item is simplistic in nature but yet so deep in meaning. The gentle journey of “Beautiful You” isn’t a loud wake-up call to accepting yourself, no that’s not the radical part, it’s a gentle radical shift in perspective that you gain by reading the book that allows you to fully embrace yourself.  ~J.

As the mother to a daughter and a professor to many young women, this book is a wonderful gift to share. I gave the book to the 20 young college women I mentor. They loved it! One said, “It’s amazing that there is a step-by-step book to boost your self confidence! Very helpful!” Another said, “I look at it daily and it lifts my spirits.” My daughter was drawn to the cover and she thumbs through it every day. We have already had some great discussions inspired by the book! Though she is too young now, I plan on creating “Beautiful You” journals as a mother-daughter project during her 11th year. In the meanwhile, I found the daily practices/exercises/writings to be valuable for any mother, teacher or woman to consider. I will be using some of the book’s exercises in my “Body Image” course. Molinary’s book will work better than others I have seen in the same genre. It takes the reader on a journey, knowing that self-acceptance is a process. Often, the young women I work with are overwhelmed by the “have high self-esteem” mantra. They know that they SHOULD love themselves, they just do not know how…and where to begin. “Beautiful You” offers hope, inspiring the reader to adopt a practical pace of self-reflection. The book engages the reader on many levels: inspiring anecdotes, academic research, interviews with experts, media examples, and on. All are written in a voice that inspires and resonates. As a mother and a teacher, I am grateful to finally have this treasured book to share. ~ Kelly Finley

I absolutely treasure this book. As an after-school site coordinator, I cannot imagine any other book aiding me better than Beautiful You. Rosie Molinary provides amazing activities that not only help in the self-awareness of young teenage girls, but woman of any age, class, and race. Beautiful You is positively radical in every sense; Rosie Molinary guides women and young teenage girls in how to accept themselves and creates a community amongst all women. This book is inspirational; the journey Rosie Molinary takes us through is revolutionary by day 365 you not only feel empowered, but 100% motivated to make a difference. I definitely recommend this book in an academic or personal setting. ~Leticia

Rosie is an amazing and beautiful writer. She conveys the most intimate and desperate feelings with such grace and sensitivity that any feelings one might have of inadequacy are quickly resolved to recognize, accept and appreciate their uniquity. I truly believe, this book will rescue a lot of people, from themselves. ~AF

I just love this book, it’s like having a conversation with a good friend, someone who comes over daily for a cup of tea, a latte, or in the afternoon a glass of wine, someone who reminds you how truly wonderful you are, who inspires you to live to your potential, and who points out the little things in life to be grateful for. The ideas and passages are practical, easy to accomplish and relate too. It’s written so you can pick it up and down as needed. My life can get kind of hectic with two little ones, someone always needs to be fed, entertained, put to sleep, etc, since getting the book I’ll read a few pages when I get a moment and it’s a lovely reminder that I am pretty great, I can get through the day/week/month whatever. I think the book would also make a wonderful gift for women in any stage of life, as it’s so positive and supportive withoug being you know saccharin-ey, cheerlead-ey, over the top, you know? It’s just right, like your BFF in book form. ~heymami