My body; an instrument or an ornament

In a sea of everyone trying to compete with each other, I have decided I'm loving me a little more. Obviously I am still learning to love all the parts of myself, but I am done trying to be a certain type of perfection set by others, because that shit's exhausting. I am humble enough to know that I have a ton of flaws but wise enough to see that I am healthy, have a pure heart and my soul is balanced. I really like the person I am; she's awesome and ever changing. So shake off all the expectations and beliefs put on you and remember food and exercise are not and should not be weapons used against your body; our bodies are not the enemy.

We have this weird assumption that only from pain can we gain the body that we want, and by having that, it will bring greatness and fulfillment. More often than not though, it doesn't really bring us sustainable pleasure and satisfaction. Now if you are reading this and thinking that I don't like or appreciate hard work, going to the gym and eating healthy then you need to screw your head back on right. I am saying that torturing yourself with these things will not automatically make you feel better about yourself and you can be sure as hell that they will never fill that void, because that is an inside job.

As much as we all enjoy occasional instant gratifications, we need to be here for the long run - pleasure isn't feeling good about your body but feeling good IN your body.

And hey, I'm not saying that I don't use filters to edit my pictures or that I would never resort to any type of enhancement in the future, I'm talking about the relationship I have with myself; the way I talk to and about myself.

So to start off, make a list of the things your body can do; things it allows you to do, things you enjoy. Like the ability to smell and taste, the feeling of someone brushing your hair or giving you a massage. Think about how easy it is to get around able-bodied, the fact that you can go up a flight of stairs. To say that these aren't amazing physical qualities, is belittling your body.

We need to remember to appreciate our bodies, because this is one of the most important things you can do for it, especially when you’re pursuing a life of self-love, care and wellness.

I also encourage you to find a method of exercise that you enjoy. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body, do it to make your body healthy and strong, do it because it makes you happy.

Now this doesn't mean that I'm here to guilt trip you into sleeping more, going vegan or exercising twelve times a week, I'm not claiming that using floss is gonna make you mysteriously loose 10 pounds but taking care of your body, finding and focusing on the things you already like about yourself, can increase how good you feel and improve the way you see you.

When you focus on the good, the good gets better.

Like any other relationship, the one you have with yourself requires nurturing, patience, and kindness. There are many ways to practice self-love, explore different methods of caring and find what makes you feel joyous and healthy. Your responsibility is to find that, make seeing your own charm a priority, a labor of love.

My thoughts on expectations and physical appearances? How 'bout we make room for all kinds of beauty, stop the nonsense of trying to fit in a non-existing box where no one is anyway and realize that self confidence is kind of a super power which is beauty in its self.

You are as amazing as you let yourself be and once you start to believe in yourself, miracles start to happen.

To me, I am half gypsy, half goddess, all magic - a wolf and her moon.