Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts…
It all begins with thoughts, now doesn’t it? We create a reality for ourselves inside our heads and in response to that reality, we act and live.
To achieve body positivity, we must shed the negative ideas that have become our daily thoughts. But where do we begin?
As people living in 2015, we all share the common denominator of this time and society. How are we being affected by a culture that both presents meticulously edited images of an idealized body type, and at the same time glorifies this standard as being all–important and central to our identity?
What IS “beautiful,” anyway? Cultures across time have romanticized every shape, size, and color under the sun as being the ideal human figure. We are no different. However, our under-representation of the greater majority is leaving our unique human beings to feel “lesser than.”
“Wasn’t there ever a time when my skin color was recognized as ideal?” one might ask… “My size? My shape? Why can’t more models look like ME?! My life would be much easier…” We say.
This leads me to another question; why do we care so much? Theologians have argued that we were created this way; to feel desired and beautiful… wanted and strong. We could also bring it back to culture again; our shallow, sexualized culture where no one lives up to the double standard, (not even the models we’re looking at.)
We also have our personal experiences that shape our view of ourselves and our bodies. Bad relationships, bullying, abuse, vanity – it all points us back to this one message we tell ourselves, “I’m not enough. Not desirable enough. Not worthy of love.”
My final question is: what are we going to do about this?
We are going to tackle these mentalities, turn over every stone, and uncover the lies that bury themselves under the empty philosophies that would coax us into body shame.
This is the blog you will find thoughts written by myself and many others that have important new ideas. We must adopt a new way of thinking; a mindset that leads us to health, peace, and self-love.
Feast on the food for thought.
With love,
Angelique.
