Body Image: Stop Blaming Society and Start Loving Yourself

When discussing the topic of “body image," there is one wise, historical figure who said it best as he uttered the phrase, “So Cosmo says you're fat? Well I ain't down with that!". Sir Mix-A-Lot, though he may be a one-hit rap artist, sees the way the media makes people feel about their bodies, and he isn't afraid to say that it is not fizzy fine. Maybe instead of pointing our fingers at this endless list of societal expectations, we should consider the real problem—ourselves.

As a girl who has depressingly watched the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show while simultaneously double fisting sonic corn dogs for the past two years, I completely understand how we can get down on ourselves for not looking like Candice Swanepoel, but can we really sit back and say that they shouldn't be allowed to strut their stuff because it makes us feel bad about ours (or lack thereof)? Yes, those washboard abs and defined cheekbones are amazing, but if we look beyond those things I think what we really envy about these women is their confidence. To have the lady balls to walk across a stage knowing that millions of people are watching every wiggle and jiggle, is something that should be admired, not condemned.

We are women. We are smart, unique, strong, and you know this if you have survived putting on last year's bikini for the first time this season. We have made and are continuing to make our mark on this world, yet we incessantly set ourselves back with our inability to look at other women and respect their beauty. How can we expect anyone to view us as intelligent beings when we stupidly allow ourselves to be phased by things as small as an Instagram picture, or a bathing suit ad?

We show our friends our crush's new gal, and beg them to tell us that she isn't cute. We hate the flawless girl whose fingers are permanently stained with Cheeto dust and has never been to the gym. But if we spent half as much time lifting ourselves and others up as we did tugging on our love handles and whining over how we wish we looked different, the world as we know it would be forever changed.

Out of the 7 billion people on this planet, you got lucky enough to be you. Be tough on yourself, strive to be the best you can be, and work towards your goals, but keep in mind that you are your worst critic. Christina Aguilera should have said, “You are beautiful, no matter what YOU say". Replace your negative thoughts with ones that are positive, and if you really want to change, occasionally replace those chips with a banana. We can claim that the media is to blame for our poor body images, and high expectations of our physical appearance, but at the end of the day, confidence is not created by looks, it comes from within. Yes, we are a big part of the body image issue, but we are also the solution. Be great, be confident, and most importantly, be-You-tiful.