Why I "SELFIE"
In my narcissistic, non-scientific, and self-aggrandizing opinion, I have come to the conclusion that the act of taking a daily "selfie" can help a person be in constant practice of self-affirmation. There are indeed many people who have jumped off the deep-end, snapping photos of their mostly naked selves with oddly puckered lips in that most glamorous of odorous places, the loo. But there are also many folks who do it just because they wish to share the incredible joy of their experiences with friends and family.
I selfie every day that I run or do something that challenges my big, strong body. Sometimes I am alone, and other times I am with a group of people, both new friends and old. Sometimes I am in the midst of a particularly challenging exploit, and I will take a photo to remind myself that what I am doing is supposed to be hard, and I am actually doing it. I want my circles of family and friends to know what I've been up to, and how I look, even when the photo is not at all flattering. I want them to know that if there is something that inspires and motivates them, that they should do it and snap photos of themselves doing that difficult thing, too. 
The puritanical practice of self-devaluation and self-deprecation at the expense of a healthy sense of self (but not overblown ego) is obsolete and useless for our times. This is not to say that we shouldn't love others, rather, in order to love others, we must love ourselves first. This is especially important as women. It is a dangerous thing to be completely self-less. What will you have to give if you have not given anything to yourself? A quick photo doesn't cost the money of therapy or lipo, so I choose this. Why NOT present ourselves in the way we want to be presented? We might actually start believing that we are as awesome as our pics suggest.
I also selfie to remind myself that although I still have a long way to go in my quest for overall physical, spiritual, and mental health, I'm doing OKAY right now. I am satisfied if a little impatient with my progress, but overall content. 
Along with the selfies I post on Facebook, I usually post a pic of where I am so that others can appreciate the natural beauty of where I get to live out my life. It is gorgeous where I live in Georgia, and it is also beautiful in the places that I have been fortunate to run in. This, for me, is my most humble (and technologically savvy) expression of gratitude for being able to simply be myself and no one else. Being able to record the awesomeness of living, and what life has given me is a gift that I hope to pay-forward with the joy that I hope is expressed in my photos. Of me. 
