There Is No One-Size Fits All Ideal
That’s Just Your Instagram Feed.
For as long as I can remember, I had always been extremely self-conscious of my body. As early as 10 years old, I remember rolling up tissues and taping it onto my chest to give the illusion I had breasts.
There is nothing more mortifying than people calling you out for it.
I was also taller than most of the boys, and became vividly aware of my height, wishing I were miniature and petite, not lanky and gawkish.
When I was in high school, I then compared my body to that of my friends that were curvier, wishing I had a similar physique. Only to later find out that they were self-conscious too. The same went for the boys that I was seeking validation from — they too were self conscious of their bodies, but did a better job hiding it.
I ended up eating fast food every day, and put on weight in the hopes I would grow a butt like JLo.
Spoiler alert, that never happened.
Rather, I developed poor eating habits.
Comparison is the thief of joy. It robs you of your gratitude, and strips you of your self-worth.
So what changed?
As I got older, I learned to take care of my body from the inside out, not the other way around.
We have these beautiful bodies that are capable of so much when nourished, and yet we fixate on these unrealistic, rigid standards that are unsustainable.
As I got older, I learned to embrace my lanky and gawkish figure, by understanding that a certain body part does not equate to my self-worth.
Having abs does not make you any more compassionate of a human being.
Having a thigh gap does not shield you from becoming depressed.
Having breasts does not equate to your femininity.
Having a lower or higher weight does not impact your creativity.
When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
Do you see all of your insecurities reflect back at you?
Do you fixate on distorted metrics?
Do you project an idealized version of yourself, wishing you looked like others?
The truth is, we all do. We all possess our own insecurities. But what do we do with that information?
We can change our focal point
We can recalibrate our focus on what really matters — nourishing our bodies from the inside out, and not adhering to what appears to be an aesthetically pleasing social media feed.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel your best. But just remember, there is no one size fits all ideal.
Lanky, gawkish and all…
The true beauty stems from the fact that we are all unique.
