There were certainly some bad parts of 2016, but the best thing about last year, in my opinion, was the body positivity movement. Whether you were a part of it or didn't even realize that it was going on, it was a wonderful thing. Celebrities, activists and everyday people started doing something spectacular: using social media for good instead of evil. Who would have thought? While the uproar of empowering messages was just what the world wanted and needed, so many of us are confused now that the new year has sprung. Is our usual "new year, new me" motto a mortal sin since we have committed to loving ourselves? The answer is very complicated, but it is pretty much no.
There is a clear discrepancy between wanting to change because you hate yourself and wanting to change because you love yourself. Both of these things are, sadly, very normal to women around the world. It's confusing to say that you love yourself and feel like a goddess wrapped in light while also attempting to change yourself. The problem is that we often don't realize that bettering ourselves and changing ourselves can be the same thing, and that is OK.
If you haven't already heard, no one is perfect. We all have flaws. Some of those flaws we will grow to love and cherish, while others will continuously bug us until we try to change them. The most important thing is deciphering which flaws we need to try to love and which flaws we are better off trying to work on. If you will be happier from working on your flaws, then what is stopping you?
Truth be known, everyone is a work in progress. Even the most seemingly "perfect" person will encounter things in their life that will force them to grow. Someone who has a perfect appearance may have things going on inside that they need to work on. Someone who is the best person inside may have things about their appearance that they hope to change. Some things about us are unavoidable and make us who we are, and we need to love those things. However, trying to better ourselves -- whether mentally, emotionally or physically -- is not a bad thing.
While everyone is a work in progress, we are also all masterpieces. Everything about us, our greatest strengths and deficiencies, are art. We don't look at a Picasso and say that it is ugly or messy, but instead we recognize its creativity and beauty. So, why can't we see ourselves in that same positive light? Our flaws stare back at us harder than any other part of what we see, but just like abstract brush strokes, those flaws are what makes the picture work.
There is no rule that tells us we can only be one thing at a time. After all, people are constantly being a multitude of things, and it has worked out for us so far. This is why it is perfectly plausible that we can love ourselves dearly while also trying to better ourselves. If you haven't decided on a New Year's resolution yet, consider having two: to realize and remind yourself of just how incredible you are and to commit to making yourself even better. Don't back down from what you dream of accomplishing, and don't lose sight of how amazing you are.
