I just got back from a quick little vacay to south Florida, which means I got to spend some time at the beach. The beach is easily one of my favorite environments. It relaxes you and tans you at the same time, plus the views are always nice. You can't get much better than that. But, of course, if we're thinking of a beach, we probably think of swimsuits. And for some of us, if we think of swimsuits, there's a whole other thought train that goes on. And usually that train isn't headed towards positivity and self-love. It tends to get caught up at Self Loathing Station. I'll be the first to admit that I am very guilty of spending my sweet time at this place. But this weekend was a first for me: This was the first time in my life that I did not have a single negative thought towards my body whilst in a swimsuit. So what changed? What made this round so drastically different from every other time I wear a swimsuit, go to the pool, the lake, or the beach? Self talk. Oh, friends. Self talk is both the most empowering and the most devastating thing we do on a daily basis. Self talk is what you think about yourself, your body, your personality. Self talk is how you speak about yourself, joke about yourself, describe yourself. Self talk is just that. It's every bit of talk we do about ourselves. Normally, I'm the worst at it. But over the past few months, I gave myself the challenge to go into swimsuit season and summer with a positive frame of mind. My body was built for my life, and thus it is perfectly wonderful how it is. Instead of comparing to the girls around me, I decided I was going to focus on celebrating body diversity and acknowledge that differences in shape and size do not impact my nor anyone else's worth. This was hard. Like, really hard. I'd work out next to fitness bloggers and have a crazy internal dialogue of trying to keep my thoughts positive and respectful. I'd see posts on Instagram and have to keep myself in check. And I'd put on a swimsuit, romper, or pair of shorts and have to monitor my mind. But here's the thing: just like any other activity, putting safe guards over your thought life can be built into a sustainable habit. Slowly but surely, I honestly stopped caring about how my body or appearance compared next to the girls at the gym. And by the time this weekend came around, I had no second thought of throwing on my favorite swim suits and rocking them at the beach. But that didn't happen overnight. And the thoughts still try to get in. But I'm building that habit. I'm making progress. And I'm intentionally focusing on what I love instead of what I dislike.
I get it. Body image can be excruciatingly difficult. I'm very open about my struggle with it and my history with EDs. But I say this to give you hope; no matter your story with your body, you can be confident in it. Take care of it, be proud of it, and use it to accomplish your dreams. Our bodies are positive things. We just have to start thinking of them that way. I have one last thing to say: EVERY BODY IS A BEACH BODY AND SO HELP ME NEVER INSULT ANOTHER PERSON'S BODY. but that's another post for another time. Okay, there. I'm done. Have a lovely week, pals. Xx, Anna Leigh
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AuthorI'm a college student with a passion to empower women, spread the love of Christ, and speak truth into the darkness. I also really like cats and Taylor Swift. Archives
October 2018
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