Ladies, If You Have A Body, Congrats, You Have A 'Summer Body'
If you’re struggling with getting the “summer body” just remember this one thing.
I was finally able to really get out of the house after coming home from college to do something fun. Saturday I went to the beach, a new beach that'd I'd never been to before, and it was such a great and relaxing day. Just what I needed to really kick off my summer with friends!
But, behind all that excitement for summer trips and vacations, comes the insecurities for beach and pool wear. Bikinis, some girls hate them and others love them. I for one have never minded wearing a cute bikini to the beach, but things change and Saturday was a little different.
The way I've seen my body recently hasn't been so positive. I really let go of my motivation to stay active and fit, and this is the product, major insecurity. College was a crazy time where I had to prioritize my activities, and going to the gym was not one of them.
In the result of that, my body image had gone down, I'd look in the mirror and see all the slight changes that had occurred. I was not happy with the way my body looks in a bikini, because it was different.
Leading up to summer you hear all the time, "I have to get my summer body ready," and it's almost like this immense pressure to look perfect for that bikini you will eventually put on. It's like this rule of summer, have a perfect body, whatever that actually means.
I had to look past those standards and societal views and accept how I look, for all its beauty.
It took some time for me to really accept my body how it is and learn to love me for how I look. I won't lie, sometimes those insecurities creep back in, but I shut them down by reminding myself that I am worth every positive thought I can come up with.
I grew up surrounded by the stereotypical girls with perfect bodies and skinny waists, and that societal body standard has been around since I can remember. I realized that my body wasn't that "perfect" slim and toned body, and I had to learn to be OK with that.
I heard a line from someone close to me at school once, and they said "every body is a summer body" and that really stuck with me. I find myself repeating it almost every day.
I don't need to have a perfectly toned, tan body for it to be a summer body. There is no perfect image of a summer body anyway, and who's to judge which body is a summer body? No one can tell you how to look, because you're perfect just the way you are.
Loving your body for the way it looks is the best thing you can possibly do this summer. So look at those insecurities and turn them into something positive. I had started by pinpointing the parts of my body that I wasn't happy with, and learning to love them.
My body is me, and I appreciate every second I get to live in it, and I love it.
I turned those negative mental comments into a positive outlook on my body, and it has boosted my confidence, my self-image, and I am happier with the way I look.
It's not something that can happen overnight, but repeat those positive comments to yourself, make a habit of saying at least 3 great things about yourself each day. If you create positivity, it will consume your thoughts and there will be no room for negativity.
Insecurities are a hard thing to beat, it takes time and so much effort, but I did it, and I believe that everyone can do it because we all deserve some self-love and happiness. So, as you're getting ready for those beach trips and bikini times remember this...
Every body is a summer body because we are all beautiful in our own unique ways.
Marissa Chappell 
Once upon a time...
...two peoples love, created this crazy bunch
