With summer coming around the corner, this means warmer weather and a change in clothing. For some, it is an awesome time to let the skin loose. For others, such as myself, it is a time of discomfort. Most of my outfits have sleeves and are pretty much all based on the color black.

All of my life I have struggled with accepting the way that my body looks. I have continued to compare myself to other women who just don't seem to look as I do. Also for all of my life, I have been a bit heavier than the people around me. I was a "chunky" child and now I am a "thick/chunky" young adult. Nothing has changed honestly.

What I have been trying to change is my mindset. Recently, I was watching a video on YouTube from a fashion/plus size beauty blogger. Her channel is called Learning To Be Fearless. Recently, she uploaded a video where she began talking about her health and fitness journey. In the intro of it, she was discussing how before anything can be done, whether it is weight loss or searching for better health, you have to love your body the way it is RIGHT NOW. If you don't love yourself now, you won't love yourself afterward.

I believe that for women who are plus size, weight loss is viewed as the solution. Often times, it simply serves as a band-aid. What Alex (the woman in the video) was saying rings so true to me. If you do not love yourself before you might still not love yourself afterward. Self-love truly comes from the inside and is only slightly affected by what is on the outside.

This summer, I am pushing myself to continue what I am calling my "Self Love Journey". Every day I am going to take a picture of myself and post it. The idea of what others think of me or how I look in a picture is always something that is very difficult for me. So I am going to do this every single day until that anxious feeling is gone. Until I start to like the way I am looking.

I have been doing this for about a week now. On day seven, I found myself struggling to take this picture. I didn't view myself in a positive way that day. But pushing myself to take the picture actually helped. I felt as though I accomplished a goal of mine.

So if any of you are struggling with your body image, push yourself. Wear that crop top. Take that picture. Wear a bikini. Life is not about being comfortable all the time. When it comes to our bodies, they are OUR bodies. The way other people view them is on them. But the way you view your body is the most important. It will come to you, to me, to everyone. It just takes time. These things are not going to happen overnight. So keep pushing yourself and soon it will begin to flow.