This is a message to all the ladies and gents who are dreading the summer season because of beauty standards:
It seems that we have this idea of what the “perfect” summer body should look like. You know, the sun kissed skin, beach waved hair, toned body, and so on. But I’m here today to say that we do not have to be that image to be beautiful! Every body size, shape, and complexion should be celebrated. Embrace the belly rolls, stretch marks, cellulite, blemishes, pale or dark skin. Love the skin you’re in because your body is yours. Cherish it.
I think that we get so caught up in the things that we’re not that we forget about the things that we are. You don’t have a toned core. You have belly rolls. SO WHAT. That does not make you any less beautiful! We focus so heavily on the things that we dislike about ourselves that we lose sight of the things that we love. Give power to those things you love about yourself! The more we affirm ourselves and bring gratitude to our bodies the more content we will be.
There’s this saying, “comparison is the thief of joy”. It takes away from our individuality. Let’s appreciate one another’s beauty without comparing. Stop hiding your body with fear of judgment. Stop conforming. We are all beautiful in our own way. We do not have to amount to any beauty standard. Not even our own. Change your mindset and you will be set free.
Love yourself this summer. Love every inch of your being. Love every stretch mark etched across your body and cellulite dip in your skin. Praise your body for what it is!
I’d like to end the post with this:
One night I confided in a friend. I shared my biggest insecurities and doubts with this person. We touched on self-confidence, comparison, and loving yourself. After much conversation we ended the chat with something I’ll be mindful of for life. She suggested that I imagine the person I love most was sitting across from me. She asked me what I would say. With careful thought I replied, “I love you more than I have ever imagined in the power of love. You are everything I want and need for the rest of my life. I appreciate your sweet presence in my life and all the love we have developed for each other.” She then changed the scenario and asked me to imagine sitting with myself. What would I say then? It was that moment that I realized that I should love myself just the same.
You should too.
Desiree
