Beauty in Every Shape: A Body Love Journey

Beauty in Every Shape: A Body Love Journey 

Wassup my ForevaBlack family, how are y’all? I want you guys to feel more comfortable; like we are an actual family. These topics I choose are very personal for everyone in some way, shape, or form... I want to go to diverse levels that we all can relate to or to see what someone else may relate to and you become more aware of it. On today’s blog, we are talking about body positivity, embracing yourselves, and loving every shape; big, medium, or small. Every shape is beautiful and should never be judged.  

To start off, I want to begin talking about my old and current views of my body... I want to be vulnerable and show you how I once felt. As a girl, who has never been small and always been a bigger girl; I was always insecure. Being in elementary through high school and being the plus sized girl, I was always joked on for being bigger and not being as small as the other girls. In my younger years, I was so sensitive and always sad about it... I never understood why I was never chosen, or I would not look as cute as other girls who are smaller in a particular outfit. I had all these worries and thoughts running through my mind constantly; up until my senior year of high school. It is like a huge shift happened in me, it is like I suddenly begin to see I am beautiful, I started to walk in confidence and feel happier seeing the beauty I once never did. It took me a while though to get where I am now, me at 22; I am the most beautiful girl in the world, I spoil myself, I value my body and see it as a beautiful creation. I am a beautiful creation that God placed in the world; and it is not up to someone else for me to see how unique I am.  

Body positivity is not just something bigger girls deal with, but also smaller girls. Society makes smaller girls feel as though because they do not necessarily have the curves they will not be chosen as well; you all are just as beautiful. There’s nothing wrong with being small, you cannot help how you were made, and you should never have to change that because of other people. We are all beautiful, no matter the size of us. When God created us, he saw us as perfect creations in his eyes; if God deemed you as beautiful..., why would you care about someone who is not your creator said? Also, women are not the only people who deal with this... men have poor thoughts about themselves as well, and it is more common than you think. 35-50% of African American women are experiencing body dissatisfaction, and 25-40% of men are experiencing it, theirs mostly revolved around muscularity and masculinity.  

In the African American community, we tend to have these self-esteem issues, and problems with our bodies; because of society, and sad to say... at times our family. Societal standards are showing the bodies we are “supposed” to have, and what figures would look better or what will get you “chosen.” A lot of people online also body shame, and bully people for being too “different” for them. Even with men, some are seen as supposed to be “muscular” or smaller than chubbier guys. Females body shame just as much as a man, someone being bigger or smaller should never determine how you see that person. Also, with men if women or society in general, if men are not “masculine” or as masculine as we would like them to be, we see them as weak with no strength. And I have personally projected this onto men as well... like double standards.  

Media representation and our peers can weigh on the way we see ourselves, our thoughts of ourselves, and how we may deal with this issue mentally when it comes to our natural bodies. These unrealistic standards make us feel ugly, unworthy, unseen... emotions no other human should be putting each other through. If you have ever done this, which we all have been guilty of at some point... have you ever thought about how this affects a person’s mental health? This can bring so much anxiety and stress onto people, they will overwork themselves to look like someone else or stress because it is hard trying to get that body that they see on another person. It causes social anxiety, as a bigger girl, there were times where I did not want to be around smaller people for the sake of not being judged. This issue can bring depression, severe depression, not just something small where they are just simply sad; they begin to have low self-esteem and talk negatively about themselves. Some people will begin to feel like filth, and that they are not made to be loved... we should never have someone walking around feeling that way at all, it is very unacceptable.  

I would like to give encouragement to every female and male who may be dealing with or struggling with poor self-image and battling low self-esteem, you are beautiful and handsome, and you are beyond worthy. Never let anyone else determine your beauty, size does not determine beauty. We are all beautiful, whether we’re at our biggest weight or lowest; and remember most people who bully you or try to put you down about how you look are not happy with themselves, it is an inner issue and sometimes they see a light in you that you cannot see or you have something in you that they wish they had in themselves. We need to love ourselves more, we get so caught up in the ways of society; be yourselves. If you do not love yourself, like genuinely love yourself, everybody’s opinion will continuously affect you and control how you see yourself. I also believe in taking care of our bodies though, we do need to learn to take care of the body God has given us. I am learning to take care of my body, watch what I intake and how I can put my body in a better position.  

God tells us in his word, in Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them.” We were created in HIS image; he saw us as precious just the way he made us. If our CREATOR saw us as perfect, why should we feel any less than? God also tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies." God wants us to take care of our physical bodies, we are not our own and we should honor him always with it.  

I am going to leave you all with a few more scriptures and I want for you all to get into God’s word for yourselves, allow yourselves to see God how he sees us. I know that learning to love yourself can be hard, we all have our small or even big insecurities, but these are things that can be prayed for. God tells us to pray for everything, and do not worry about anything. Here are the scriptures that expresses his love for us and how we should go forward after reading this: 

1 Samuel 16:7: "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 

1 Peter 3:3-4: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 

Psalm 139:14: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

Galatians 6:4-5: "Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load." 

I love you, my ForevaBlack family, and I always will... I am always here, reach out to me for any advice or if you need someone to talk to. I thank you all for the continuous love and support. Remember to love yourself, love every inch of your body because you are perfect and worthy; love yourself now, and not later. I would like for you to reflect on this post and ask yourself can you relate to this or can the people you love relate? How can you help encourage someone from this point forward? How can you encourage yourself? I love you all, and hope this touches your heart.