7. Unbecoming our Shitty Body Image

Hi there,

Have you ever stopped to think of all your body has done for you as you curse it, loathe it, and wish it were different?

For years, I was always trying to be different! Thinner, stronger, prettier.

Insert a slew of other adjectives; words I thought I HAD to be. Words that I thought defined who I was or determined my worth!

I thought to myself that I would be happier when I became a certain size or weight...or so I thought!

But, in reality, I’d hit that goal and would feel no different.

I didn’t suddenly love the person staring back at me. All I could see was cellulite, thighs that were too big, pudge on my belly, non-toned arms, stretch marks, a size much different than my friends or what I saw in magazines.

Enter the guilt and shame of never feeling enough! Never quite loving myself for the exact skin I was in, during that moment, during that season.

It wasn’t until losing both parents and giving life to my children, did I realize exactly who I was and how powerful my body and my mind were.

It wasn’t until then did I realize the value of health over vanity.

So, let's unbecome the BS belief that we must look a certain way in order to feel worthy of love. Because, just by being born, exactly who are you - RIGHT NOW, scars and all, you are worthy of the greatest love known to the universe. It's time we believe that.

With so much freaking love,
JV