"I love my body because..."
One of our favorite Instagram accounts posted a simple graphic the other day that simply said, “I love my body because…” As we thought of how we wanted to mark Valentine’s Day, we couldn’t think of a better way than taking a moment to embrace body positivity and share appreciation for this shell that literally carry us day in and day out.
As women, we are hard on ourselves and our bodies. While it naturally does amazing things, we push it to its limit and can find more than 100 reasons to pick of its little features apart instead of showing it with appreciation. So today, we are taking a moment to share with you why we are loving the skin we are in.
I love my body because…
My body moves me and never fails to amaze me.
I am a busy body to my core, which means I can always think of five other things I should be doing instead of resting. I blame it on the fact that I started dancing at a young age, but movement makes me feel good. My body carries me through my daily responsibilities, work, working out, running and all the things in between. When I’ve pushed it to it’s limit, it lets me know, “We are going to rest now, sis.”
I try to honor it’s strength and resilience by fueling it with the same love and respect. It has taken me years to simply appreciate it for all the amazing things it does, and I’m still growing. However, I am proud of my body and constantly learning to treat it better each and every day, from the food I eat to the media I choose to consume.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the last Spartan Race I competed in really helped me love and appreciate my body even more. I often look back at those photos and think, “Wow! I looked so strong and my body truly carried me through each and every one of those obstacles. There is nothing I cannot do.” I cannot wait to experience that again.
I love my body because…
It’s mine, and that's enough.
Growing up, I was deeply insecure about my body. As a teenager, I cried many tears because, in my eyes, my body wasn't small enough, smooth enough, pretty enough to be accepted by society.
But today, more than anything, I know my body is strong enough.
Strong enough to run a half marathon, take a boxing class, train like a beast, and walk across a fitness competition stage. Today, I feel very blessed and fortunate to be in my own skin.
One birthday I told myself, "Shawnie, you are going to continue to age, and you have two options, you could spend the next couple of birthdays hating your body, or you can spend it loving it. It's your choice."
Don't get me wrong; it's definitely a journey. Sometimes old thoughts of insecurity haunt me, and I struggle to feel like I'm enough. But, I am learning to love every mark and every scar. They remind me that although I've experienced some hardships, I'm still here. I'm continually finding ways to practice better self-care, whether walking, stretching, meditating, or eating food that helps me thrive.