If you’re reading the title thinking “You don’t know what my body looks like so how can you say it’s beautiul?”, then I have one thing to say to you is…shhh. Yes, I am shushing you. I’m shushing you because before you go any further, you need to know that I don’t have to know what your body looks like. I don’t need to know if you’re skinny or fat (fat isn’t a bad word by the way, our minds thanks to media are just internalized to think that way). I don’t need to know if you have muscles or not. I don’t need to know if you have stretch marks, dark spots, cuts, or anything of the sort on your body. Why you may ask? Because it doesn’t matter!

It doesn’t matter what my mind says about me or what your mind might have to say about you, if it’s anything other than “you look bomb as hell!” then it’s lying. It doesn’t matter what other people have to say because they feel they have an actual opinion on your body and what goes on it. The fact of the matter is, unless you’ve given them permission and asked them to provide their opinion and you told them to make decisions for you on how your body should look and what you should wear…what they say doesn’t matter. Before I go into why your body is beautiful, I’m going to give my own little short story.

Don’t you just love story times?

So recently, I did a new photoshoot with my friend so I can have pictures for my Instagram. I hadn’t taken photos since January. JANUARY! I was pulling photos out like magic, but I was at my end and it was time for some new photos. This photoshoot was being done in the same place and I still had the same non-posing skills as always, yet it was different and extra special because I decided to wear this short and crop top set that I bought. What’s so special about that? Well besides just getting the courage to wear crop tops with pants a few years ago, I wore shorts in public for the first time in my adulthood! I wear shorts all the time in the house for lounging or sleeping, but not an actual pair of shorts to style and wear in public. I’ve never felt comfortable because I’m a plus sized woman and it’s hard to cover my belly or lessen it in something like shorts versus a flowy skirt or dress. I always told myself that when I lose weight, I’m going to have a closet full of shorts and other clothing items that I’m not confident in wearing right now.

But why should I wait to start?

I may not be comfortable in everything, but why not at least try instead of keeping myself from things that I love and think are so cute!? If I don’t like how it looks at the moment then that’s just means the piece of clothing did nothing for my body…not the other way around (I’m literally going to remind myself of this every time I talk crappy in a dressing room and so should you). The thing about going and trying things that I’ve always wanted to wear are the voices that come into my ear. I’m not talking about my own voice. I’m talking about the voice of family members that are of a whole different generation that tells me what doesn’t look cute, what isn’t ladylike, and all of the sort. This is why remembering what I said in the beginning is important. If I didn’t battle to keep those words out of my head, I would instantly go back to dreaming about wearing tank tops and keeping the ones I have in the back of my closet.

Okay, so maybe the story wasn’t SO short, but here’s why your body is beautiful.

Your body is beautiful…my body is beautiul…because it’s ours. You own that body. You own that skin that you’re in and that’s enough. But like an onion, there are layers and levels to that statement. You peel it back and you see that your body being yours can mean something different for each person. It’s YOUR body that gave birth. It’s YOUR body that healed those wounds and that reminds you when you see your battle scars that you’re a badass. It’s YOUR body that is soft and huggable. It’s YOUR body that has lifted those weights like a boss and built up all that muscle. It’s YOUR body that has stood by your side despite the hate it goes through from either yourself, others, or both. Your body is absolutely beautiful and no matter what it goes through, that’s not going to change. Wear whatever you want. Don’t hide your body because someone thinks it’s not how you should dress or look. Love yourself and your body unconditionally and never let the naysayers, no matter who they are or how old they are(including your own head), make you think or feel any different.