The Body is Not An Apology

Your body deserves your unconditional love. Let us say it one more time, Your body deserves your unconditional love. Body image is something that millions of people struggle with daily. We could go on and on about what it is, or what people think it is, but we'd rather just get straight to the point. Our fear about how people see us is based solely off how we see ourselves.

The way we love ourselves shouldn't ever be conditional. We shouldn't be waiting around until we lose or gain a few extra pounds, until our hair is a little thicker and longer, or we get a perfect smile with a new set of veneers to show ourselves genuine love. Self-love all begins within yourself, mentally. When we mindlessly scroll on Instagram and compare ourselves to others, (which a lot of us in our generation do), we are digging ourselves deeper into a pit of low self-esteem and not giving our body the love it deserves.

The best way to get over nit picking your body and being insecure is by starting not to care. We know its cliche and sometimes a hard concept to grasp. But really, at the end of the day all you have is yourself. Yeah, you may have friends, family, and surrounded by other people, but lets be real - you are the only person who will always be there for you. If you're not showing up for yourself, then who will? Without loving ourselves first, we can't expect others to do the same.

We pass up so many amazing opportunities because we live in a constant state of fear about what other people think about us. You were put on this earth with purpose and intention. Our purpose isn't to look good or be pretty. Your body has carried you through some of the hardest and most exciting times of your life. Next time you're getting down about yourself, remember all your body does for you - "it has legs that have gotten you place to place, eyes that see the beauty in the world, a nose that can smell good food and flowers, and a heart to love". I know social media has carved this standard of perfection and an ideal body image into our minds to make us hate the image we see reflecting back at us in the mirror, but there is so much more to life than worrying about if our thighs jiggle, our hair is thinning, or if our tummy hangs over our jeans when we sit down. For the sake of our future daughters and sons (or just others around us), we all need to break the societal chain of perfection and realize we are perfectly imperfect just the way we were made.

We are starting out our fitness posts by challenging you to a week full of body affirmations. We want you to choose three affirmations out of the list below or create your own and speak them into your mirror every morning and every night. It is time for you to realize your beauty and worth and believe it yourself.

Daily Affirmations

1. I am beautiful.

2. I am worth more than my appearance.

3. I am grateful for everything my body does for me.

4. I love the person staring back at me in the mirror.

5. I am perfect just the way I am.

6. My body is worthy of love and respect.

7. I am strong in mind, body and spirit.

8. My weight does not define me.

9. I choose self-love.

10. My curves are where they are meant to be.

We are on this journey together. Stay tuned for more posts all about self-love, body image, and confidence. You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are enough.