Michelle Nebbs

HR, #leadership and org effectiveness at ANZ. Experience collector, wine and food lover, working mum, travel dreamer. Thoughts and opinions my own.

[Mohamad Safa @mhdksafa]

This is a side by side of two women gracing the front covers of two well known magazines.

The one on the right we all know is Martha Stewart, age 81. The one on the left is Apo Whang-Od, age 106, a tribal tattooist in a remote province in the Philippines.

There seems to be an unwritten rule which equates beauty with youngness. In an interview, Martha Stewart told the reporter she credits her organic, home-grown, farm-to-table eating, yoga, and actively healthy lifestyle to her youthfulness. While that’s an admirable journey for her, let’s not forget the amount of privilege that kind of lifestyle requires.

On the left is Apo Whang-Od, who is a 106-year-old tribal tattooist in the Philippines. The wisdom she carries in every forehead wrinkle and frown line is stunning. Her eyes are glass, reflecting back all that she’s witnessed over a century of lived experiences. Her tattoos a reminder of the ancestors she seeks to honor.

Both women are beautiful in their own right. But I wish we as women didn’t play into this idea that we have to look younger—and thinner—in order to fit some unrealistic beauty standard which will grant us acceptance and relevance in the world around us.

I’m writing this for any woman who, like me, may have had a punched-gut reaction to seeing an octogenarian in a swimsuit on the cover of a magazine looking more like a woman in her forties or fifties: Anti-aging is not a beauty standard.

There IS beauty in wrinkles, and saggy skin, and drooping breasts. These are markers of a life hard fought for and well lived. It seems odd to try and erase these battle scars.

So while I applaud Martha for her fortunate body, carefully curated procedures, and pristinely styled makeup, I also applaud Whang-Od for what others may perceive as imperfections.

Anti-aging is not a beauty standard.
Authenticity is.

@ FeministNews

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

@EricTopol @JAMAInternalMed @Nebbsy01

[Amanda Waterman @AHWaterman]

@rugbyworldcup

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

@David_Challen I hope your insecurity is unveiled by a bad ass ‘comfortable’ woman. What a #crocofshit

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

I signed this Pledge to lift up women & girls. Our lack of confidence can really hold us back. I notice how this impacts young women in particular… With confidence, I would love for you to also sign the pledge! https://t.co/JCMzFZSwJC #CAMFEDsisterhood @Camfed

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

@MatthewGuyMP why bother reducing V-line fares when hardly anyone is commuting anymore. Smacks of an easy promise that adds no value. What a #wasteoftime #easypromise #makeitworthwhile

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

Gold

[Victoria Police @VictoriaPolice]

We're preparing to assist @nswpolice in the search for 22 missing swans, last seen wearing red and white at around 2:30pm in the Melbourne area 🦢 #AFLCatsSwans

[Stella Yee @Stella4Menzies]

Let's see which media outlets are capable of reporting two numbers and an explanation, and which ones will be lazy...
#COVID19Vic

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

@RickSteinRest @Rick_Stein @BBCTwo Oh chalkie!

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

@theprojecttv “mate it’s infuriating” you’re not kidding @katelangbroek 🤣😷

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

Feeling so helpless with the situation in India but grateful ANZ doing their but to support. It’s not much when the scale of this crisis is so large but very little bit helps. #CovidIndia

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

@ElliottShayne Thank you Shayne for showing our support to our colleagues in India and the broader community.

[ANZ Australia @ANZ_AU]

Tip: buy your Easter eggs in bulk and you’ll be shouting – “show me the bunny!” 🐰

[Annabel Crabb @annabelcrabb]

This is a pretty great column. @ClareONeilMP coming up on @abc730

There is a greater sense of male entitlement in Australia's parliament than in any workplace I have seen | Clare O'Neil https://t.co/vDNYG9ip51

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

Golden ... what trump supporters look like and how you can be one too. 🤩

[Macdonald @FireWater__]

@Tim_Burgess @AlbasArachnid In case you’re tempted

[Peter Helliar @pjhelliar]

Have a knot in the gut for Sydney right now. Hoping for the best. Please mask up, it feels strange for exactly 2.5 seconds. Follow public health advice. 🙏 👊

#Sydney

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

Help stop 18 families from losing their homes in Camberwell https://t.co/dlhJVMFhb7 via @ChangeAUS apparently Boorondara Council support sustainable and affordable housing, but knocking these houses down and replacing with lux high rise seems counter intuitive to me @Boroondara

[Michelle Nebbs @shellnebbs]

C’mon!!

[Ryan Reynolds @VancityReynolds]

Aviation Home School edition. Official sponsor of Parent-Gin conferences. https://t.co/22d4p0Dbe6