Something that has always infuriated me without a doubt is when someone feels entitled to negatively talk about another person’s body. A lot of people don’t realize the harm that is done when contributing to this type of conversation.

Body shaming is the action of criticizing someone’s body, involving negative comments about someone’s weight, or size. The impact of body shaming on a person can be detrimental with life-lasting effects. I am a firm believer that children’s behavior is learned, so when a child hears their parent’s body shame someone it becomes a normalized practice. It’s a vicious cycle that society hasn’t helped dismantle. The impact of social media and the value that our society places on thinness and ever-changing physical beauty standards are two apparent reasons why body shaming continues to happen around the world.

I do feel grateful to live in a time where the body positivity movement has been trailblazing around the world. People are paving the way to normalizing all shapes and sizes of bodies, and that has left a beautiful impact on society. Young girls and women now have books that educate them on self-love and body positivity and have famous people to look up to within a large range of unique beauty. The diversity of beauty has begun to spread, and with my whole heart, I say thank you to those people who are out there making that difference.

I occasionally catch myself slipping into the cycle of negative thoughts about my own body. I blame that on being a victim of the society we live in, and it’s challenging (but not impossible) to fully escape. I’ve noticed that someone could be the most confident person, but then one small comment can be enough to break the glass.

But throughout the years I have learned that loving your body is a lifelong process and a beautiful journey. I have learned to accept the parts of me that I used to hide away. I have learned to feel comfortable in the swimsuits I used to avoid at all costs. I learned to appreciate my muscles that lift, run, jump, swim, and walk me through life. My most recent appreciation is the stretch marks on my upper thighs. They look like mesmerizing ripples on clear water, and every time I see someone’s stretch marks I am immediately reminded of their beauty.

That’s what it takes. A reframe of the way we think. Turning everything that others and society have portrayed as negative and ugly, into a really beautiful quality. Body positivity involves loving who you are and what you look like, and not limiting yourself to certain things and experiences that hide your beautiful self. Let’s all be more thoughtful and considerate about the words we speak – about other’s bodies and our own. Life is too short to try and fit yourself into someone else’s expectations of you.

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