In a previous article, I defended the body positivity movement and talked about my own struggles with loving my body. However, I think there is so much more that can be said on the issue of body positivity, and, in particular, self-love. For the longest time that phrase "self-love" wasn't something that I understood because I thought I was being kind to myself, but the worse I felt about myself, the more I realized how I had become my own worst enemy. I was lacking self-love, and it was making me uncomfortable with my body and less confident.

I read a lot of body-positive articles that encourage ways for individuals to be kinder to themselves, and while reading one of these articles about actively noticing when the author was being unkind towards herself, I realized how often I say negative things about myself without realizing it. In that moment, I began to understand why active self-love is so important because without realizing it most times, we say the nastiest things about ourselves. Hating our bodies has become so ingrained in society that it seems natural to chose a different pair of pants because even though you love them, they make you "look fat." This needs to end!

Once I began to comprehend how frequently I tear my body apart (usually in front of a mirror), I attempted to combat negative thoughts with the things I loved about my body. With each negative thought that had the ability to ruin my day or put me in a bad mood, I would replace it with an uplifting thought. I paid more attention to what I thought about myself and tried to understand where the negative thoughts were coming from and why they happened. By doing all of this, I was genuinely happier and more comfortable in my skin. I began wearing things that I was told by society that I couldn't because of my weight. I bought a two-piece swimsuit that shows the slightest hint of my midriff, several crop tops that I love, and shorts that don't go to my knees.

I am happy with my body. Sure, it's not every day and it's something that I continue to work on, but I am so much happier with my body than I once was. Instead of standing in front of my once-dreaded mirror, I admire the way my body looks in the clothes that I had been told to stay away from, and I'm embracing my body even though others may think it is flawed. To me, my body is beautiful. It does everything I need it to from dancing to yoga to making it through finals hell week. I love the body I have been given, and it doesn't matter if others find it as beautiful as I do because I am the one who lives with it. I am the one that decides what to wear whether it's for comfort or fashion. This is self-love, and it is powerful. It has the magical power of turning a bad day around and making you happier with your body and your life. Use self-love to your advantage. I love my body, and that is all that matters.