Have you grown up with body image issues? Did you deal with insecurity as a teenager?
Girl, you’re not alone. (Yes, I assume it’s mostly ladies reading these blogs.)
We’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to others.
Heck, we’re all “guilty” of dealing with body image issues at some point in our lives.
As a woman that grew up on Long Island, I am no stranger to body dysmorphia. It was rampant in the area I grew up in.
I remember feeling as a kid like the things that made you cool were all external.
I felt like your status was determined by how thin you were and what bag you wore.
When I look back now, my heart breaks for the young girl who felt so insecure and judged herself by how many Juicy pants she owned.
It is a sad and very real reality for so many young women growing up and I’m sure that it’s only gotten worse in the age of social media.
Defining beauty:
Your worth and beauty are not determined by external factors. Your worth doesn’t depend on what you look like.
The important part is what is on the inside and how you feel about yourself.
If you feel beautiful, that is what matters the most.
However, it’s important to recognize that your standards of beauty are likely going to change over time; mine certainly have.
I used to think that the gaunt, skinny body was beautiful. Now my body role models are women who are strong and fit.
I don’t want to be or look stick thin; I want to feel strong.
Through therapy, both Jen and I learned how to redefine our standards of beauty and tap into our self-love.
Our goal: you can wake up and look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re beautiful and really mean it.
We want you to shower yourself in self-love and positive self-talk because it’s the most empowering thing that you can do for yourself.
When you do the work and put in the time, you learn how to love yourself deeper and harder.
It isn’t a race with a finish line; all of this work is a journey.
Every day I continue to work on myself. I put in the work to love myself and tell myself that I am beautiful, and do the things that I need to do in order to feel beautiful.
Not to mention, I make it a point to surround myself with women who do the same; that’s why Jen and I serve as accountability partners to each other.
Finding a crew of supportive folks that empower you and cheer you on along your journey is paramount to getting where you want to go.
What do you think? Do you have a body image issue story to share?
Share in the comments below!
