You Are Beautiful!

What gives anyone the right to make you feel bad about your body?! To tell you that you aren’t beautiful?! Or that your body isn’t what it “should” be?!
Why is it necessary to be nasty and try to intimidate people – and because of their body?!? Come on people!

A lot of people are talking about body shaming at the moment, and for good reason – it’s a really important issue.
It is a form of bullying born out of playing on people’s insecurities, and frankly, it needs to stop. It is completely unnecessary – What exactly do the body shamers gain from it? A sick satisfaction that, what, they made someone feel crappy? I don’t get it!

The human body is one of the most beautiful things in existence, whatever shape or size, it’s incredible – and we shouldn’t let anyone make us feel bad about any of it!

My body might be more curvy than yours, my skin may not be as clear as yours, my muscles may not be as toned as yours, but do you know what? That doesn’t matter!
I’m happy, I’m healthy, and frankly, if you have nothing better to do than compare yourself to others and then make them feel bad if they don’t exactly fit society’s perception of what is “Beautiful” then it is you that I feel sorry for. (the proverbial “you” not specifically you reading this – I’m sure you are lovely!)

I am not a size 6 (UK), I eat cake, I eat bread, I eat cheese and I eat chocolate (shock horror!) – and I’m happily a size 10. I’m healthy AND I’m happy. If I didn’t eat these things, maybe I would be skinnier, but would that make me happier? I’m not convinced it would. A world without chocolate is just not worth finding out! Ha!

I am a very strong believer of “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” and I think this is the perfect time to employ this phrase. Body Shamers of the world – shush yourselves!

Look at the women in your life – would you say any of them weren’t beautiful?! No! There are things you will notice about them that they don’t see as being beautiful at all. Things that they hide away.
I think we should make a pact, ladies – Instead of bringing each other down, lets build each other up! Let’s get rid of all this body shaming – let’s say what we love about each other instead!

I watched a video on Facebook this morning of a woman in Idaho who went into a busy market place, stripped to her underwear, blindfolded herself and requested (on a chalk board) that people who support self-acceptance “Draw On My Body” – she stood there for nearly an hour and at the end the messages drawn all over her body were messages saying “You are Beautiful”, “Believe”, “Hope” , “Awesome” and “I love your thinking”. There were no negative messages at all, she even got hugged by strangers in the street who just thought she was beautiful. By the end of the video there was no doubt, no matter whether she fits society’s perception or not, she IS beautiful and everyone thought so.

Society profits from our self doubt. So let’s defy that – ignore the body shamers – let’s love ourselves, let’s love each other and support each other. Let’s stand up against society’s perceptions and believe in ourselves. Eat Cake. Be Happy. Be comfortable in your own skin. No matter what shape or size, provided you are healthy and happy, you shouldn’t change a thing or let anyone intimidate you or make you feel any different –

photo credit: You Are Beautiful via photopin (license)