What is body positivity? This concept is really just starting to make its way out into the mainstream and has made major strides over the past couple of years. We rely heavily on the media and their depictions of true beauty and the ideal body. It should come as no surprise that this is a major issue because every man and woman is unique and most of the time looks nothing like what we see on TV.
So, we see these men and women and we wonder why we don’t look like them. It’s so easy to start ripping ourselves apart in the mirror. And, this isn’t just a weight issue. Everyone has something to be insecure about — their chest size, skin color, freckles, hair color, height, and the list goes on. And beyond the physical, it’s easy to be negative about our gender, age, disability, religion, you name it. So that brings us back to the question, what is body positivity? Well, it’s all about choosing to accept your body exactly how it is and helping others feel comfortable in their own skin, too.
I’ve recently embraced this movement because for years I didn’t like looking at myself in the mirror. I felt I was overweight, not tan enough, too large chested, too short, etc. I struggled to see myself as the gorgeous boss babe that I was. Then met my husband. His heart would break every single time I tore myself apart. One day, I decided to try and see myself through his eyes. This man, someone who adores every inch of me, saw me as beautiful, strong, and amazing. Why couldn’t I see this? From that moment on, I decided to take a journey to health and happiness through fitness, yoga, and self love. I told myself I was beautiful every single day until I finally believed it.
My body has changed a lot — I lost a bunch of weight, then I got pregnant. Through all the transition, I wondered if my mindset would change. But because I worked on my mental health and self love, I stand before you at the same weight before I started. And more importantly, I’m as happy as ever and full of love for every curve, stretch mark, and blemish.
This is what we need to do for everyone else. We need to nudge everyone to love what they have for every single beautiful and unique inch. Why should we want to strive to be someone else we see on TV? They are also beautiful, but we can’t be them because THEY are them. We need to be ourselves and realize how epic we are. This outlook can change lives! Imagine a world where everyone is happy with themselves and the media shows people of all shapes, sizes, shades, heights, etc. in a positive light without calling out what they think are “flaws.” I don’t have any flaws because I think I am incredible exactly the way I am. We should be able to live in a world where our sons and daughters will grow up without a thought that there might be something wrong with them. They will be confident in who they are!
This is the direction we need to continue moving toward. Some days it might seem like an up uphill battle, but if we all walk uphill together than we will be successful. Tell yourself you are beautiful and incredible every single day because you truly are. You are one of a kind and very special in this world!
About the Author
Heather Beaudin is a 27 year old Mathematician living in the DC area. She’s the mother of two beautiful girls (one with two legs and one with 4) and wife to a pretty incredible guy. Heather is a fitness/yoga enthusiast and a YogaClub ambassador. She is a body positivity enthusiast trying to spread self love to everyone she comes across to show that you do not need to look a certain way to do the things you love!
