I think Misty is sooooo cool!
I first found out about Misty Copeland through an article about Under Armour. Apparently, she is the first ballerina to be signed to an apparel company. She is also the first black ballerina in 20 years to be a part of the American Ballet Theatre, which is one of the three biggest ballet theaters in America.
As this is officially the last day in Black History Month, I thought it’d be nice to end on a look towards the future. I read an article about Misty today in SELF magazine. She was describing how at age 19 she gained some pounds. At the time, she was 5’2″ and 108 lbs. However, some of the people in charge at her dance company told her that she needed to “lengthen her shape,” which really means that she needed to lose weight and become skinnier. Misty describes how devastated she was after hearing those words. She says that she went into depression and developed bad eating habits.
So how did she make the turnaround?
In the article, Misty says that she met a guy. This guy eventually became her boyfriend and the two would talk for hours! She said that her boyfriend always encouraged her and told her how beautiful and special she was. Misty says that hearing those words built up her self-esteem and gave her the confidence she needed to dance again. She started eating better, exercising more, and most importantly, began accepting the natural way that she looked. While it did set her apart from other ballerinas who were small and petite, Misty embraced being curvy all over, and it all started with someone saying positive things to her.
All it takes is love. When you feel down or discouraged, God is that person who will tell you that you are special and that you are loved. God has a purpose for each and every one of you. He truly knows who you are. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head! That’s love! Whenever you want to hear encouraging words from God, go read your Bible. It’s FULL of them. As for being a witness, remember that the words we say to people can either build or destroy someone. As Christians, we always want to build and never destroy. Ask God to show you how to use your words to build someone up this week. You may not get to see the results right away, but trust me, it makes a world of difference. Just ask Misty 🙂
Happy Sabbath
