Dear Body, // Body Positivity

Bodies.
We all have them. They all have lungs, kidney, hearts, bones, brains etc. As a nursing student, I spend a lot of time studying them, but there is more than just the flesh.
There is this social aspect to how we look on the inside, because we are our bodies. This bag of flesh and bone we walk around in is who we are, how we present ourselves to others.
There is something John Green said in his 100 days Youtube series, and I wish I could find the exact quote. It was something along the line of this: This was the first time I realized that this was my body and that my body was a part of me, and it is not something to be hated.
I hold that idea close to me because our bodies do so much more for us than we realize.
Body positivity is something I believe in very deeply, but it also something I know every single person struggles with at some point. I know I have before and I know I will again.
Almost everyone of my friends has complained about their bodies at some point. My mom. My sister. People I just met. Everyone.
It is basic fact, everyone struggles to love themselves sometimes.
And that is okay.
I don't mind that sometimes I struggle, because I can come out the other side better.
And that is part of the reason I chose this topic this week. I feel like more so this week I have heard more people negative about their bodies, myself included, and maybe that is because summer is approaching (summer bodies don't exist: if you have a body and a summer, you're good) or there is just something in the air. I don't know. But I think it is more important that I have noticed, and as hard as it is, I have tried to reverse this way of thinking.
Yes, in the last couple weeks I have gained five pounds.
No, this does not make me a different person.
In the last year, I have also become so much stronger than I have ever been before. I have found a love in working out at the gym with friends. I have found a passion in yoga.



Weight is just a number on a scale.

That being said, if you want to lose weight; that is amazing, I will support you every step of the way like your own personal cheerleader. If you want to gain weight; that is amazing. If you want to get bigger breasts: go for it. If you want to get a nose job: I can't wait to see how happy that makes you. If you want to cover your body in tattoos: do it.

That is the beauty of it, it is your body. And it is beautiful, whatever you do with it.




People come in all different sizes, shapes, colors and any other definer you can think of. Everyone is different and that is beautiful. The world would be boring without diversity.

I understand the hardships in understanding this, I have fallen into that thought process myself. Sometimes I want to be exactly like the models in the ads, but that is not who I am.
I have a cookie pouch and a muffin top (why are these considered insults, they are both delicious desserts). I have no butt. I have small boobs. I will never be the angels in the Victoria Secret ads.
And I do not need to be.
I do not want to be.

I want to be me. I want to be strong. I want to be beautiful in my own way. I want to be kind.

It does not matter what size I am. If I am healthy and happy, it does not matter what size some corporation prints on a label.


You. Are. Beautiful.
I. Am. Beautiful.

This does not mean I will stop working out or stop eating healthy because I am not doing those things solely to lose weight. I am doing those things to be healthy. To be happy.

I want to mention a video on this topic that I saw not too long ago.

Meet Carrie Hope Fletcher.
She is an actress on West End, an author and a Youtuber. She is someone who endlessly inspires me.
A couple months ago she posted a video entitled "When I'm Thinner" and it changed my perspective for the better.
She discusses how there's this thought process and outlook that life will get better whenever you lose weight. And I think this is something I thought too. And I know it is something I have witnessed in other people.
But it is not true.
There are no greener fields on the side. You are beautiful just as you are.
Carrie has continued to inspire me with body positivity. She is beautiful, but more importantly she is kind. Kindness is the most beautiful thing a person can be.
Click here to see the video I am talking about. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I hope she inspire you too.



So that is it. I am beautiful. And you are beautiful. I do not even need to see you to know that you are beautiful. 
Just as you are. 

I am going to end this post with something a little different.
First off, the back story: last semester I was in the first section of Anatomy and Physiology. In this class, I had one of the most amazing teachers. At the beginning and end of the semester, we were given the same assignment: to write a letter to our bodies.
It was something I had never considered doing, but it was something I ended up really loving and I will always be grateful for. 
So here is my Dear Body letter. 

Dear Body,

First off, sorry for how I felt about you when I was like 13, no hard feelings right? I know you were just doing your job, but it was hard to adjust to. Looking back, I realize you did nothing wrong, but it’s hard for a quiet 13 year old to realize something like that.

I think we are on much better terms now, for the most part. Sometimes there’s things I wish I could change about you, but I truly do appreciate everything you do.

I love how you hard you can hug my sister, promising to always protect her. Or how you can dance so silly that you can make her laugh.

I love how you curl yourself into a hug with my parents, in a way that makes my mind feel like everything will always be okay.

I love how you can lift my nephew up above your head, even though he’s 4 now and starting to get so big.

I love how you sometimes don’t mind just staying still and letting my mind take over.

I love how your ears hear music, always listening for the emotion in the words and holding on to every single word. I love how you feel the music in your bones, from the loud drums of Fall Out Boy to the quiet whisper of Eponine singing On My Own in Les Mis.

I love how your eyes see the blue of the sky and the brightness of the stars and let my mind dreams of worlds far away.

I love how your fingers type away at the computer so quickly and let the words just fall out of mind as I weave together whatever new world has swept me away.

I love how your eyes read books every moment you can and transport me to places I’ve never been.

I love the way your mouth smiles at everyone, and how your blue eyes can carry that smile even when your heart can’t.

I love the soft parts and the hard parts and all the ones in between, even if it means that really cute pair of jeans I bought online didn’t fit.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s still some things we need to work on together.

Like how we cry at almost anything? I’d like to work at that one.

Or how no matter how much I tell myself that everything is fine, you still are freaking out? Let’s chill out with the panic mode sometimes.

I’m sitting here trying to think of more complaints about you, but honestly I can’t. If you asked me a couple years ago, I probably could have went on, but now it’s different. I don’t know why or how or when, but I realized we work together pretty well.

Honestly, I think I just let myself love you, like you have loved me all these past 19 years.

Love,

Spiryt

This was a pretty long post, but I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope that maybe you love yourself just a little bit more.

Maybe if you want, write your own letter to your body. I'd love to hear it if you want to share.

Peace and love.

xoxo

Spiryt

ps: check out my socials, I would love to connect with you more

      Instagram: @theworld.in.words, @swiftie_meetsworld, @spirytmc_meetsworld,  @broadway.defying.gravity

      Youtube: Spiryt Mc

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      Twitter @sm_meetsworld 


pps: Carrie, if by some chance you read this: Thank you. And I love you. Carry on.