Body Positivity Is a Journey

Long ago, I conducted a kind of survey with my friends. An uncomfortable one. I asked them a simple but heavy question: what is that one thing you would love to change about your body? Of course, I got different answers. Some confidently said, “nothing.” Others said, “there’s nothing I want to change about my body. I like everything the way they are.” However, there were many who answered more truthfully. One wished to be taller. Another wished to have a flatter stomach. The list went on and on. The survey made me realize something about humans. I realized that no matter how much or how beautiful and handsome we are, we will always feel like something is missing. Of all the people I asked that question, one response shocked me the most. She was my secondary school classmate. Merely looking at her, you’d think she had everything in the world. You’d think there was nothing missing, but her answer to the question shocked me. She wasn’t proud of her face.

Today’s Hive Learner’s prompt is BODY POSITIVITY. As humans, should we be comfortable and proud of our bodies regardless of how we’re created? Yes, we should. But is it easy to do that? Definitely not! I find this topic very interesting and I know when I read other entries, many people will mention that we should be proud of our bodies. Some might even go as far as saying we should ignore negativity and embrace positivity, but only a few will mention how hard it is to do these things. Yes, I agree that we should embrace positivity and ignore negativity, but is this really something easy to do?

From my survey, I realized that there’s always something lacking. You might look at someone and think “Oh! That person is so perfect.” But the person might not even like the way they see themselves. Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and wished just one thing about your body was built differently? Yes, I have. I have done this many times and I’m sure others have also done this. If not, why are there many people who go for surgeries to change their jawlines, lips, or other parts of their bodies? We cannot ignore the fact that it is difficult to be positive of your body, especially when you feel a lot of things are lacking.

Interestingly, there are those who have mastered the art of body positivity. Unfortunately, I haven’t. There are people who are proud of their bodies. To you, you feel they are not perfect. You feel something is missing. Whether you are right or wrong about them doesn’t matter as long as they don’t see themselves the way you do, then they are good to go. You might even go as far as making hurtful comments like “look at how big your forehead is or your stomach is far from being flat.” Instead of getting hurt and crying about it, they will join in on the laughter. There are people like this and I really envy them. For now, I don’t have this courage. Maybe I’ll master the art of body positivity soon. Who knows?

Yes, body positivity is good, but it can become toxic if not managed well. For example, someone with a big stomach might be happy with it and feel comfortable and positive about their body. They might even share online that they're proud of their big stomach or short legs. This is perfectly okay. I mean, it is not bad to come online and flaunt pictures or videos of your body. However, it can become toxic when you feel good about yourself and want to make others feel bad about themselves based on your own self-image. In this context, a person with a big stomach or short legs who is comfortable with it might start mocking or making negative comments about people with flat stomachs or long legs. Be positive about your body, but don’t be toxic about it. Nah, don’t you do that. Don’t make people feel bad about themselves just because you are happy and comfortable with your own body.

To those who are positive about their bodies, I wish you the best. And to others who feel they're lacking something, I hope we can learn the best way to be positive about our bodies. Body positivity is not something that should be rushed. It is a journey, so go easy on yourself and take it one step after the other.

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Thanks for reading.