Growing up in this generation, we are lead to believe as women and girls that our happiness is predetermined by what the scales tells us or by what size our clothes have to be. But why does that have to be the case? Trust me I understand healthy living and doing what's best for your overall wellness, but what I'm diving deeper into are these ideals around body type as the reason for happiness. We see those magazine covers with tiny girls photo-shopped beyond all repair, or "thinspiration" which girls use to model themselves by. So let me ask you, what would happen if we broke away from these pain staking ideals and traded them with proud and confident perspectives of what the "perfect" body should be?
As a life long "thick girl" I struggled immensely trying to fight off this standard of what it is to be beautiful. I remember looking in the mirror, a tall young girl with extremely broad shoulders and bigger chest to match, and wondered why I couldn't be like the "other" girls. I would cry to my mom endlessly about not being able to wear the clothing brands that other girls wore, and shopping what just a nightmare in itself. Not only was I facing internal conflict about my situation, the other problem I faced most of the time we're the countless bullies that also felt that I was "too fat" and didn't belong. It is really hard, especially growing up in this generation, to hear those thing from other kids because somewhere along the way you start to believe them. When I went into my teenage and adult years, I was always trying to figure out ways to feel good about myself and my body type. For some reason, I was always under this crazy assumption, like many other people, that a thinner physique would make me happy.
I don't remember where or when, but sometime down the road I came to this shocking realization that MY BODY TYPE DID NOT MATTER. Yes I said it now and I'll say it again and again. The number on the scale or the size of my pants were never a direct correlation to my character or personality. My body type never has conversations for me, or connects with people, or lives my day to day life. So Who cares what the tags say when I walk into a store? Who cares what people think of my thick thighs and broad shoulders? Who the hell cares about the calories I choose not to count or how I choose to take care of myself? Anyone's opinions that should matter will never be those that will judge or come after who I am based on what I look like to the naked eye, and those that do, clearly are not apart of my life for a reason...BECAUSE THEIR OPINIONS OF MY BODY ARE MEANINGLESS!
Who we are as people never should have or be predetermined by what our bodies look like. So what if you have a few extra pounds here or there? When you look in a mirror, stop looking at the size or number that appears on the scale. You are not a number on a scale, or size on a tag. When you look in a mirror what do you see? Is it beauty, confidence, caring nature, poise, or any deeper than face valued trait. If you answered no to any of those, I want you to look again. I want you to look at that reflection and tell yourself, "Body type doesn't matter". If you are healthy, then you are a beautiful. The minute you begin to find that confidence inside of yourself, is the minute you realize that the body is a beautiful thing, regardless of what the size or shape of it is. Then, and only then, will you realize what the "perfect body" is and should be.
