It does not matter which side you relate to -- body image is a struggle.
To the Woman Who Has Ever Hated Her Body:
Stop criticizing yourself for the body image you see in the mirror. You are beautiful -- and it is time to learn to love your body. If you could just see yourself in all of your glory, you would know that your body image has been distorted.
Learning that it is "not okay" to love your body started young.
You were conditioned from a young age to have a certain opinion on what is acceptable for a woman and how you need to look. The Barbie doll. The digitally altered magazine covers. They taught you that you are not good enough the way you are.
Other people reinforced that message. Some said it directly. Others taught you this through their actions. It started at home. It continued at school.
You learned that fat is shameful and skinny is beautiful. That you can only love your body if it is under a certain size.
Love Your Body Anyway.
Here is a message I pray will sink in and give you hope:
- The standard for what body type is "acceptable" will change flavor a hundred more times in your lifetime.
- The pressure will always be there, but it will be up to you to fight it.
- You are both uniquely your own lovely person and also just like everyone else.
- Your weight does not change your beauty one way or the other. That number on the scale is completely irrelevant to your worth as a person.
- Teach your daughters to love their bodies -- by your example. Let them see you love yours.
- It is time to screw the standards of beauty imposed on you and decide for yourself that you are beautiful.
What a remarkable gift to give yourself. The work is hard, but it is worth doing.
You are beautiful as you are. You are smart, kind, funny, caring, capable, lovely, charming -- just as you are. -- Sara