Another take on body image and confidence
“YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR BODY, YOU ARE YOUR BODY” is the title of a must-read post by Erin of Fit Mama Training.
In it, she explores the notion “You are more than your body,” and notes that for her “behind that [phrase] lurked ‘If I can’t be beautiful.'” So if you are more than your body, you would be so many other things: smart, funny, generous. But Erin calls herself—and all of us—out on the secret, underlying message which is is equally as negative: “Nothing you do will matter unless you are beautiful and perfect in so many contradictory ways.”
She goes on to explore what it means to BE your body, through the eyes of how she loves her daughter. You could look at anyone you love: do you “excuse” their “outsides”? Do you look at your best friend and think thank goodness she keeps me in stitches, because her nose is a little bigger than average? Or do you look at your brother and think I’m glad he’s smart, because he’s a little chunky?
Of course not—that kind of thinking has probably never occurred to you regarding another person, but you may have thought If I can’t lose the muffin top, at least I am a lot of fun to be around. Erin writes, “When we love people we don’t “excuse” their “outsides.” We begin to have a fondness for all the details of it.”
And that’s how we need to treat ourselves: have a fondness for all the details of it. You are your body.