Have you ever put on your underwear and bra after a shower and just stared at yourself in the mirror? If you're like me, some days, with just the right pairing, you'll like what you see. Other days, you'll go to that place in your mind dedicated to pointing out every flaw and you'll compare yourself to that girl in your history class who you couldn't help but stare at because she seemed to have the perfect body.
Summer's on its way. Which means that bra and underwear combination turns into a bathing suit... and suddenly, fear takes over. You have stretch marks, you have that one roll on your back that haunts you, your thighs might be a little bigger than you'd like.
The other day, I sat on the beach, and I watched girls with abs, flat stomachs, and proportionate-sized boobs walked by in their bikinis, as I sat there in my one-piece that I cried about when I bought it.
It's funny how we see ourselves one way, and we rarely stop to wonder if people are thinking good things about us when they see us, or if they're just judging us, like that scary place in our mind tells us again and again.
Those girls didn't notice me looking at them, jealous of their bodies, even though I loved the suit I was wearing and felt like I could embrace my curves in it.
It isn't going to be easy, sitting there in your beach chair or by the pool, to accept yourself as you are. In these settings, people are wearing outfits that they have to go out of their comfort zone to feel good in. Bathing suits reveal flaws that we hide so easily with our clothes. It's a whole new level of self-acceptance.
I don't have the answers of how to change this feeling of inadequacy. But I can tell you this: believe people when they tell you that you look good. Dare to post a bathing suit picture on your Instagram. Challenge yourself to love those little flaws.
This is who you are. And yes, it sucks to have to transfer that private moment in your bra and underwear to a public beach. But carry yourself the same way that you would when you're alone in your room.
I promise no one is there to sit in their chair or lay on their towel and judge you. We all just want a little fun in the sun. So put on your sunscreen, put on your suit, and tell yourself you look damn good. Because I promise, even if you don't think it's true, someone else will.
Love every stretch mark, every roll, every scar. You don't need a thigh gap. You don't need proportionate boobs. You just need a suit that will make you feel on top of the world. All that matters is that you are comfortable and that you feel beautiful. Screw everyone else.
