When I walk into Victoria’s Secret, the sales women swear that their bras can pad, pump, or perk. When I flip through the pages of magazines, advertisements for Spanx tell me that their product can control that muffin top. When I browse the aisles of CVS, I pass hundreds of bottles of lotions that swear they can conceal stretch marks, blemishes, or scars. But what if I don’t want to be perked, or controlled, or concealed? What if I am perfectly happy with my body? What happens if I – dare I say it – love my body?
In today’s world, there are so many products that make you keenly aware of your “imperfections.” And frankly, this is a brilliant business model. If companies can invent a “flaw” and then present you with a miracle solution, then they have just made a sale. These companies claim that they want you to feel happier and more attractive, but in reality, they want to convince you that you are inadequate. And if you let them convince you, you have fallen into their dark trap. While we have all fallen into this trap at one time or another, there is a way out. And the way out is by seeing your body – all of your body – as something beautiful that doesn’t need to be fixed.
This is not to say that working out and eating healthy should be neglected. I cannot stress the importance of doing both of those things. However, I truly believe that working out and eating healthy are important because they make you feel good. Our bodies are the most important things that we own. They need to be taken care of so that we can live long and healthy lives. However, there is a big difference between taking care of your body out of love and changing your body out of hate.
While I love my body now, I didn’t always feel that way. In sixth grade, I remember standing in front of the mirror asking my friends if my legs were too stubby. In eighth grade, I remember going dress shopping with my mom. After trying on a bunch of dresses in the store, I finally broke down in tears because “my body didn’t fit into dresses.” Looking back, I wish I could hit my eighth grade self on the head. It wasn’t my body that was the problem. It was just that the dresses weren’t made for my body type. But I didn’t have enough confidence to know that at the time.
As I said before, I love my body. I really do. If I could, I would be naked more often. Sure, my thighs don’t look like Adriana Lima’s, but I am proud of them. Yes, it bothers me that I can’t wear certain shirts because my boobs are disproportionate to the rest of my body. But they make my feel womanly. I feel power in these “imperfections.” I feel power in the fact that no matter how much my body changes, my confidence doesn’t have to. And while this is the worst news that those companies can hear, it is something that every girl needs to hear. Love your body the way that it is. Because even if you achieve the “perfect” body, what good is it if your confidence is dying inside of it?