Jezebel Express Instagram – This week, I’ve been thinking about the way we view our bodies as projects. It’s almost as though they are imperfect paintings that always require just one final adjustment, no matter how long we’ve been working on them.
Our culture encourages us to eye our bodies critically: optimize, perfect, sculpt, tone. We are taught it’s necessary to shape our bodies into whatever form is currently perceived as ideal. Of course, “ideal” is a moving target. The minute you buy a fat ass, thin is in again.
We live in a society that rewards certain bodies while penalizing others, so it’s normal that we daydream about how our lives would be different if our bodies were different.
But we do not need to be wait to live our lives until our bodies are perfect. Maybe you are putting off a beach vacation, trying a daring style, asking for a raise, flirting with someone gorgeous.
“I’ll do it later,” you whisper. “When I’m better.”
The thing is: you don’t need to be better. And you’re not guaranteed later.
Let me be clear: All bodies have equal value. All human beings deserve respect. Your body is unrelated to your worth. You will not deserve love or happiness or respect more if you have a “better” body. Anyone who tells you different is trying to sell you something.
And listen—you are the ultimate expert on what you & your body need. I don’t necessarily think it’s wrong to change your body if that’s your desire. I’m just reminding you that you don’t have to placeholder your life until your body catches up to your goals.
It is possible to live a life full of joy & love & fun in the body you have today. It is possible to find peace there.
You just have to put down the paintbrush, step away from the canvas, and live. Live as though your body is already perfect, for one dinner or day. See how it feels.
When you return to your canvas, look in new ways. Do you always need to scan for imperfections? What if the weird stuff is actually adding to the painting? What if the flaws make it interesting? What would happen if you hung the painting as it is? What if you never changed another thing about it?
What would happen if you acknowledged that you are already a work or art? | Posted on 17/Sep/2023 23:10:04
