Being Body Positive

The ‘Body Positivity Movement’ started with the aim to make people comfortable with and accepting of their own and others’ bodies. It encompasses much more than just acceptance. One should be more loving towards their own selves, and I’ll tell you people why.

Has it ever occurred to you that despite being so dismissive of your body, always finding faults in it, starving to fit in that one dress, complaining about being a certain size, not taking proper care of it, and at times giving up on it, it has never given up on you? It has always worked for you-round the clock-so that you can function sans impediments?

What we shouldn’t forget is that no one apart from you would know better than what your body needs. If you need to lose weight, do it strategically, not hastily and by going on a crash diet. It will be a struggle, it will make you bend over backwards, and you may have a breakdown along the way. But the journey will teach you so much! It will teach you to be resilient, gritty, and to never give up. Trust me, it will be absolutely worth the ordeal. And in retrospect, you’ll be glad you underwent this journey. Be kind to your body and treat it like a temple.

Your body will go through a lot of physical changes in the course of your life due to your age, pregnancy, health (or the lack of it) or your own personal choices. One should never forget that their worth is never defined by their shape and size. Some people are fine with their body size while you may not be. Be accepting of that as well. It’s their personal choice. Respect that.

Don’t judge a person on their weight, and never make anyone feel any less because of that. You never know what that person might be going through. A few kind words and a little compassion, both go a long way!

Always be grateful to God that you have a roof over your head, you can afford to eat proper meals, you are getting good education, and that your limbs are intact. If you’d ever come to realize how many people are devoid of such basic necessities in life, for one, you’d feel dejected, but would also earnestly start treasuring the life you have.

I am sure all of us have cherish-worthy relationships in our life. Help each other and inspire the people around you by being Body Positive. Share with them the importance of this mindset. If today you are able to change the attitude of even a single person, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment which is beyond words to express.

Full disclosure: Having combated a host of mental health disorders and injuries, it is a task for me to maintain this mindset at all times. But the beliefs that I have inculcated and imbibed in the past couple of years help me sail through during times of utter duress. I have a circle of friends who themselves propagate and live by these ideals and together as a group we help each other in this pursuit of ours. So yes, it still gets messy, but the bigger pictures looming above is too hard to miss!

By SimRunnnn | Simranjeet Kaur
Meliorist | Runner | Romanticist (with words not you) 

"Jee haan, main apni zindagi jee rahi hoon!"