Happy November, Sassy family! If you’ve been following me on social media, you’ve heard whispers of the concept of No Shame November. It came about because I was talking to my friend about No Shave November that a lot of dudes participate in. We were saying what if there was a No SHAME November? Wouldn’t that be cool? Then we too could participate and probably have a lot of fun with it.

It started as kind of a joke to say, “hey! we want in too!” but honestly I thought it was an amazing idea. With this whole 100 Day challenge of me writing a blog post & social media post every day it has shown me how guarded I am. There is this constant pressure (put upon myself) to speak my mind but also to do so in a way that doesn’t ruffle any feathers. It also can feel like everything needs to be perfect in order for it to be worthy of sharing with others. THAT IS JUST PLAIN STUPID!

The more I write and the more I post I feel a little less guarded and a little more empowered to keep going and to keep showing people the good and the bad. If you follow along you’ve seen me post a beautiful food picture in my Instagram feed and then follow it up with a story to show an actual Behind the Scenes shot of my not-so-pretty dinner. While I’m not saying we only need to post the failures or the mess ups, we should feel less bad about doing so. The more real we are, the more relatable we become.

No Shame November 2018

So, I present to you, No Shame November 2018. This year, I’m encouraging you (and myself) to have a little less shame about what you say, do, think, believe, eat, etc. It’s not a free for all to bash others beliefs, but it’s a way to encourage you (and me) to be more confident in who you (we) are RIGHT NOW.

The word “shame” as defined by Merriam Webster is “a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.” Wow, who else feels like they often beat themselves up for their own shortcomings? Or what we personally perceive in ourselves as shortcomings?

I know I sure do. I constantly feel like I will be judged or ridiculed if I show my face on social media. Why? Because I worry people will point out my flaws and my shortcomings. I worry that I will say something to offend someone and that will be the end of my career. As I type that I realize how ridiculous that is, especially coming from someone who is 30 years old and is a genuine, caring, hard working human being. I need to stop seeing my flaws as if they are shameful, and realize NO ONE IS PERFECT.

Here’s the thing, if I only see my flaws and shortcomings, others will only see them as well. What if instead, I saw my flaws and shortcomings as learning and growing opportunities? What If I spoke my mind and it HELPED someone? What if my behind the scenes encourages someone to cook? What if, what if!

I, like many, get stuck in this negative internal dialogue with myself and it doesn’t help anyone. However, I notice when I do speak my mind and am positive I get great feedback. So, anywho, what I’m trying to say is I am selfishly using this month as a way to speak up, speak out, and SHOW MY FACE (and “shortcomings”) so that maybe you too will feel comfortable doing the same.

Ideas for No Shame November

This is not an exhaustive list, rather a list of ideas and prompts to help you navigate the month. I’m not entirely sure how this will go if we’re being honest and open. I just wanted to give you all a platform to feel more comfortable in your skin and know that you don’t need 5 million followers to have a voice. Here are a few ideas on how I am going to participate in No Shame November.

Have No Shame in…

1. Speaking Your Mind
2. Your Food Restrictions (i.e gluten-free, dairy-free, FODMAP, etc.)
3. Bad Days, they happen!
4. Cooking Fails/Mistakes
5. Gym/Fitness Fails/Misses
6. Taking rest days
7. Self-Care
8. Saying No
9. Having emotions/feelings/ a good cry
10. Asking for Help
11. Treating yourself (whether to an experience or to a physical item)
12. Singing off key
13. Having a dance party (even if you have no idea how to dance)
14. Swearing
15. Trying something new
16. Wearing or not wearing makeup
17. Disagreeing with someone close to you
18. Showing your face/voice on social media
19. Loving yourself
20. Asking for what you want
21. Eating differently than others &/or in front of others
22. Your body
23. Your bodily functions 😉
24. …and more to come!

This isn’t a pass to throw all caution to the wind and be as ridiculous as possible, instead, it is encouraging you to be as authentically you as you can be without feeling like you have to hide, apologize, or be someone you are not just to appease others. So, let’s get after it, shall we?!

#NoShameNovember2018

Because we live in the 21st century, I figured we needed some sort of tag to get us going here. I gave it a quick search, and it appears that #NoShameNovember2018 is a free, unused, hashtag so let’s snatch it up and start posting!

Are You IN?!

If so, comment below or head to my Instagram and say “I’m IN” and feel free to tag a friend. Anytime you share something, feel free to use the tag #NoShameNovember2018 and tag @thesassydietitian. I’ll go first, by showing you a fun picture of me being well, me…

xoxo,

Sassy