By Ale Ibarra Posted March 07, 2017
Why is it that society judges someone or something based on how it “should be”, rather than look at how it really is? Not only does this happen on social media, it happens when some look in the mirror. Some spend so much time looking at themselves, pointing out the little things that they don’t like. When really, those superficial things don’t define who you are. I know how it feels to look in the mirror and have a list of things you wish you could change. Some you can, others you can’t; and that’s okay. Having acne, cellulite, stretch marks; anything you can think of. That’s what makes us real. It’s natural. (Having acne at this age is also natural.)
Although some individuals may be hesitant to jump straight into the “accept your body the way it is” stage, another way to see it can be “body neutrality”. Maybe you aren’t ready to look in the mirror and love the reflection, so allow your mind to make those negative comments, but don’t dwell on them; brush them off. You shouldn’t believe every thought that comes to mind. More so if it’s a negative one about yourself. The less you allow your negative thoughts to control your behavior, the quieter they will become. You can allow yourself to have a blank slate before making the “I love myself” move.
Another way to boost your self-confidence is to simply discard any or all body comparisons. There shouldn’t be any comparison. Nothing good comes out of setting standards for yourself based on another person. Body acceptance isn’t something that happens overnight but it can go a long way if you have a blank slate and go from there.
Besides all of that, why would you want to go and change something that is exactly as it should be? Sure, you can choose to exercise and get those abs, but you can also eat that chocolate cake that you’ve been craving. You were given this one life and this one body. It might be time to finally make peace with your body and appreciate all that it enables you to do.
