So, y’all know that summer is rapidly approaching. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot stand this godforsaken season. It’s always too hot, the mosquitoes are alive and well, and my thighs rub together all day, everyday. I freaking hate it. Regardless, summer = swimsuit season, which means that everyone is obsessed with obtaining/maintaining the “perfect” summer body. The truth is, no matter how often the magazines publish tell you the secrets to get your “best body”, here’s one piece of advice they don’t tell you; you need to love your body as it is.

If you’re naturally skinny or you have a fit, toned body, that’s great! You’re able to fit into most apparel with little to no problem, and you may not be as hesitant to wear most things that larger women feel less comfortable in. However, it’s also okay to be a plus-sized woman and rock a bikini on the beach as well, without the fear of harassment. With that being said, if you’re more comfortable with wearing a baggy shirt and swimshorts to the beach, then that is perfectly okay too. No one deserves to be ridiculed for looking the way they look; it’s a type of behavior that’s completely childish, unnecessary, and unacceptable.

We are all born with the bodies we were given, and everyone’s body is different. There are some people I know who have never gained a pound throughout the entirety of our friendship, and there are some people I know who’ve just happened to be a bit bigger all of their lives. While I’m not obese, I’m not exactly the thinnest person in the world, either, and I’ve come to realize that that is okay! When I was younger, I was extremely insecure with my body because I was picked on, and because a lot of the girls I was friends with were very skinny and I wasn’t. I always dreaded wearing a form-fitting T-shirt or anything above the knee because I was afraid that people would make fun of the size of my stomach or my thighs, and I never made the conscious/voluntary decision to wear a bikini to the beach, ever. It was only one year ago when I overcame the worst of my insecurity and wore a full-fledged bikini to the beach without caring what anyone else thought.

I’ll be honest; it’s a bit scary to love your body and feel confident in your own skin at first, but it becomes positively liberating. I’m not saying that I love my body all of the time, or that you should feel obligated to love your body all of the time, but just make sure to love it when you want to hate it the most. For many, it is quite a journey to reach the kind of freedom your soul longs for you to feel (and I’m still on that journey), but when you finally look past the negativity of others and focus on how you look and feel, nothing and no one will be able to stand in your way.