It’s Time To Love Your Body And Yourself

Your legs, they hold you up. Your arms, they hold others close.

By

Tikkho Maciel

You know that body, the one you berate because it won’t lose any weight for you?

You know that body, the one you give away because you fail to see the worth in?

You know that body, the one you pinch and tug at because you wish so badly to change?

You know that body… it loves you anyway.

Our bodies become a target for our hateful words; our disappointed remarks; our lack of self-worth. They take beatings day in and day out, from thoughts so horrible, words we would never speak to others. They stand strong in our moments of self-destruction, through toxic foods and chemicals. They hold us up, no matter how hard we try to tear them down. We fight, and they love us anyway.

Our body is our best friend. They are ours, for our whole lives, they will carry us through. They are our home, that we are never evicted from. Our safety net, that will never leave. Our life support, which will never turn off without us. Our bodies are worth love. Because we are worth love. And please know, our body and us, we are one, you are one.

Our body keeps us alive, fights for us, everyday. Every breathe we take is our body keeping us alive. No matter what is happening in our world, we breathe.

No matter what we say to ourselves, we breathe. No matter how we treat ourselves, we breathe. No matter how we speak; what we do; how we feel about our bodies, it breathes for us. Think about that…really think. If we treated anyone like this, would they fight to keep us alive? Every day?

I doubt it.

So please, please, stop destroying your body.

Let go of the hurtful words; the tugging; the squishing; the constant desire to change. Let go of it. Let go of the desire to lose another 10kg, to starve your body to thinness, to fit a standard your body is not wanting to fit. Let go of the diet fads and yo yo eating habits. Let go of the chase for perfection, because your body is perfect for you right now.

Let go of the disregard; the auctioning off; the objectifying; the disrespect for yourself. Let go of it. Let go of the need for approval, the exposing yourself for remarks, the desire to be desired. You are enough, without all of that. Your body is enough, without all of that. Let go of the need for compliments, and find the compliments in you.

Let go of the comparisons; the self judgement; the hatred; the wishes to be different. Let go of it. Let go of constantly wishing you were something else, someone else. Stop scrolling on social media, falling down a rabbit hole of self hate frenzy. Let go of it. You are you. You will always be you. Find the beauty in that.

Choose to see your body with love, with gratitude. Every time you have a symptom; an ache or a pain, your body is sending you a message. It is telling you something isn’t right. Maybe it’s emotional, maybe it’s physical, but there is something to look at- something deeper. Love your body for that, she is fighting to keep you safe, who else in the world would do this on a daily basis, day in day out, year after year despite the hate she receives?

Accept your body for who she is. She will change, they all do, with age; circumstance; internal health. See her with acceptance, for what she does for you.

Your stomach, holds life; food; amazing organs. Your back, holds you up strong. Every part of your beautiful body supports you, and your life in some way. Thank her for that.

You are worth more than self-destruction;  just by being alive I know this.

See yourself in this light.

Your body is you, accept that. Thought Catalog Logo Mark