Mum-of-four and writer, Rachel Hollis, has brought up a very important topic for mums. 

 

You know, the one about body confidence that we all shove under the carpets?

 

Well she's not hiding it anymore, so much so that she has started to run without her shirt on.

 

 

A post shared by Rachel Hollis (@msrachelhollis) on

 

Rachel immediately grabs our attention writing: "Or, I should say, I started running in only my sports bra with my saggy skin and stretch marks fully on display."

 

Because for a number of years instead of taking part in her daily runs wearing a sports bra like most people, the mum-of-four dreamed about being that woman in 'such great shape' without her shirt on. 

 

"Oh sure, I'll wear a bikini by the pool. But running? As in, my stomach that's stretched to capacity from carrying three babies is not only VISIBLE, but it's bouncing around like a crash test dummy in one of those slow motion videos of a head-on collision?"

 

"Um, NO," she adds. 

 

 

A post shared by Rachel Hollis (@msrachelhollis) on

 

There was no way that this mum was unleashing her stomach to the world; could you imagine what they may think of her?

 

After giving birth to three babies, her tummy was surely out of bounds to the public, and as Rachel alludes: "But someday, I'll be in great shape, and then..."

 

But tell us mums; why are we waiting for the 'and then...', why not be proud of the body that you already have?

 

34-year-old, Rachel, realises there is a reason she has her 'stretched to capacity' stomach, and that reason makes her proud because it's sacred, and if others looked on in disgust she didn't take notice. 

 

 

A post shared by Rachel Hollis (@msrachelhollis) on

 

"Recently I was running on mile four or five and I was SO hot and sweaty and I just finally got fed up enough to pull my shirt off. My stomach? It was the same thing as always."

 

"It was swaying and slapping into itself and bouncing around like it was at a rave. And y'all, if anyone noticed or was disgusted or didn't like it, I was moving too fast to care."

 

"That's the key you know? Getting on with your life so that if someone doesn't like it, you're growing too fast to care!"

 

 

A post shared by Rachel Hollis (@msrachelhollis) on

 

Remembering that her body is a gift, that it has the ability to run, to move, to grow a life inside of her, Rachel suddenly realises: "What a divine and sacred thing it is to have your body changed by a baby."

 

"Sometimes we forget that. We get so wrapped up in the way we're supposed to be or act or look that we become ashamed; we forget to see our blessings."

 

The mum-of-four was afraid to run in her sports bra, because she was deeply afraid of what people would think of her. 

 

 

A post shared by Rachel Hollis (@msrachelhollis) on

 

But her liberation reminded her: "True confidence doesn't come from six pack abs, it comes from deciding to love yourself exactly as you are."

 

The message behind this post is incredibly important as it is inspiring and we can't help but applaud mum for her honesty. 

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