As our You’re Enough campaign continues, I can’t wait to introduce you to our next featured woman, Amie Schneider. I think you’ll agree that she’s an incredible woman worthy of inclusion in this campaign.
This campaign causes women to reflect upon their early impressions of beauty and its importance. Amie remembers her early understanding of what beauty meant to those who possessed it.
“Beauty and popularity seemed to go hand-in-hand; if you have one, you most likely have the other. I didn’t have either. I was much more of the ‘girl next door’ type,” she said.
Like most of us, some days Amie feels beautiful, while other days she doesn’t. But her down-to-earth, healthy approach to beauty gives her a perspective that many of us could also benefit from hearing.
“As cheesy as it is, I love the phrase, ‘I wish I was as fat as I thought I was when I first thought I was fat,’” she said.
How many of us can relate to that? Those of us who thought we were fat in high school would love to have that old body back! But Amie has the wisdom to understand that this mindset applies to so much more than just our body weight.
“That can translate to so many things besides weight in that we really need to appreciate who we are every single day because we will probably look back on a time when we wish we could have told ourselves to just be happy in our skin for whatever reason,” she said.
Amie’s practical and grounded outlook is likely influenced by her background. She is an only child who was raised by a single parent. She remembers watching her mom work so hard for everything they had while continuing to find time to make her a priority.
Amie, who works as a paralegal in a law firm and is a proud fur mama to her cats, gets along well with others, but she only has a few truly close friends. She prides herself on marching to the beat of her own drum.
“My husband and I dated for 10 years before we got married and we do not have any kids by choice, which is hard for a lot of people to understand. I ride my own Harley Davidson. I have several tattoos,” she said.
Gaining a few years – and a great sense of perspective – has helped Amie embrace her own power as a woman.
“As I get older, I realize more and more that I don’t need to please everyone to be happy. I’m realizing that I make my own happiness. As with most women, there are always things you don’t like about yourself (for me, it’s the hyperpigmentation on my face). While it would be great if I didn’t have it, the fact that I do has made me realize that this is who I am, and if people don’t like it, then don’t look,” she said. “My issue is minor compared to a lot of other individuals, and I should (and it’s okay for me to) be accepting of me the way I am.”
I loved hearing Amie’s fierce belief in being okay with who she is – both on the inside and the outside. It’s a lesson we all could learn from!
When asked why having beautiful photos taken is important for her right now, she had this to say:
“I think everyone needs to see something beautiful during these crazy, strange times we are currently living in right now. I think people can also benefit from seeing beautiful photos of people accepting who they are.”
How amazing is Amie? She has a great outlook on beauty, confidence, and life in general. I was so excited to see her blossom through the camera lens, and she certainly didn’t disappoint me! The result was a fun session and some unforgettable photos that I hope she will always treasure.
We have so many other wonderful stories to hear and women to meet through our You’re Enough campaign. I hope you’re as excited about it as I am and that you also always remember that you’re enough, too!
+ Comments