Uh, WRONG!

Negative body image has become a very real obstacle for anyone who is trying to feel good about themselves. For example, people pursue these crazy diets in order to lose the bit of fat on their hips, because they hate it. Others wear colored contacts because they hate the color of their eyes. People of all ages do terrible, harmful things to themselves because they hate their bodies.

If you want to change, that is totally fine and acceptable-- you have the right to manage your appearance. I like to think of the body as a canvas (some people don't agree with me, and that is fine, too!). But doing so out of hatred for who you are and how you look will never bring you happiness.

Modify your appearance out of love. Don't change your hair color because the "popular girl" from high school told you that your current color looked horrible. Don't be afraid to wear the clothing YOU want because you heard someone snicker behind your back.

If you step on a scale, like I have recently, and feel that the number that appears is too high (or too low), and you want to make a change, do it! But only do it because you love your body, and you want the best for it and for your mind.

I realized the reason I never had an interest in caring for my body was because I never made the active choiceto love my body and myself. That's why I never took care of my problematic skin, ate every piece of junk food that came into sight, scoffed at the mention of exercise, and never got the proper amounts of sleep.

Now that I have made the active choice to shape my body for the better of my well- being, I feel much more confident in who I am. I am much more proud of myself, and I intend to continue gaining more and more self-love. Everything else will come after.

To those of you who make others feels uncomfortable because they do not look like you, have different interests, styles, and goals-- shame on you. This world is harsh enough without the added weight of your selfish and unsolicited judgements. This world needs its inherent variety to ensure that people with a hatred like yours does not further infect the world.