Thoughts on Body Image

I watched this video the other day and it got me thinking about body image. The following video was posted on Youtube by advocacy group Pro Infirmis. It features mannequins that were modeled off persons with disabilities. I think it is a refreshing break from the unrealistic barbie-like mannequins that saturate our department store windows. It is also a bit of food for thought about our society that constantly chases after an ideal when really no such thing exists.


Video courtesy of Pro Infirmis via Youtube

Seeing this  really makes me appreciate the body I have & what it can do for me. Hey, I can't even do one push up, but I am able to if I wanted to. My body lets me walk, it allows me to travel & see the world. I can climb to the top of a staircase all on my own. I can run (although I don't often), I can skip for joy and I can dance around my living room like a lunatic-I appreciate this so much.

The bodies in this video aren't perfect, but neither am I.
This video got me thinking how, as a society, we get so caught up with perfecting our already fabulous, capable and fit bodies that we forget how lucky we truly are. Sometimes us girls get so caught up on looking 'perfect', but what is perfect? I truly believe that there is no such thing.

Over the past 6 months I have received some interesting comments on my own body.
There was a time in my life that I got so caught up with pleasing others and looking 'perfect' that I lost myself a little bit along the way. In the course of a year I have gone from a size AU 6 to a size 10 (which in my opinion is still small). I am happy & mostly healthy (I do enjoy chips a bit too often), but you know what? I don't care. Nor should others. I was told constantly when I was a size 6 that I was 'too thin' when in reality I was trying so hard to gain weight. Now that I'm a size 10 I have received  negative comments from 'friends' about my weight gain, comments such as "You have really let yourself go," or "You used to be so tiny & cute," or "What a shame that you don't fit into all your pretty dresses anymore." Well you know what? They make pretty dresses in a size 10 too, as well as a 14 & also a 20.

It's a sad state in our society when young women feel the pressure to confirm to a certain size. We put this pressure on ourselves. As women, the majority of us are constantly comparing ourselves to others, competing with each other and obsessing over a size tag on our clothes. This seems like an awful waste of time & energy. Sadly enough, by gaining weight I have realised who my true friends are (those who love me no matter what size I am) and who my fake friends were (those who only liked me for the way I looked).
I'll let you in on a little secret: men don't care! The majority of them can't tell what size clothing you wear by looking at you, nor do they care about what the size tag says. If you are that concerned about the size-then cut the label off.  I'm wearing my size 10 with pride as I know that it's a healthy size for my height (170cms) & my body type. I don't wear my clothes to impress men, I don't wear them to impress my friends-these days I dress to impress me & I am very impressed in my new size 10 dress!

Whether you are a size 6 or a size 16-or any size, if you feel happy, healthy & content with your weight you should celebrate it! Only buy clothes that make you feel like the fabulous goddess that you are, say yes to the next pool party invitation & always wear your swimsuit with a smile on your face-nothing is sexier than a woman with confidence!

Too many people waste time being unhappy with their bodies & missing out on experiences because of this. I'll be honest with you-I was guilty of this too. I haven't swum at the beach for 2 years & I live on the beautiful Gold Coast! Sounds crazy doesn't it? I was missing out on living life because I was paranoid about the size of my thighs. When in reality some girls would kill to be a size 10, some girls would kill to be able to walk on both legs, some girls would kill to have a body that can function normally, to walk into a store & by clothes off the rack.

We should enjoy our lives and celebrate our bodies NOW, cause when we are 50 years old, we will be wishing we lived in a bikini at 28.

Bottom line is: some girls are naturally curvy, others are naturally thin-we are all different and we are all beautiful. Instead of comparing ourselves to one another and hating our bodies, how about we celebrate them? If you are lucky enough to have both working legs-appreciate this. Rather than hating your body, appreciate what it can do for you :-)

miss_tash x