Okay friends, let’s get real today…
THE STORY
…Real about what you ask? Body image, that’s what. It is a struggle that we all face. And by “all”, I mean all. There’s a whole lotta body positivity going on right now and I’m all for it. The underlying premise of that movement is simply that we are all valuable fabulous human being regardless of our shape, size, wrinkles or stretch marks. And that is a beautiful and accurate concept.
Here’s the thing though, even all of that positivity can make us feel less. How so? Well let me explain…On average, I’m a size 2. I see the eye rolls and can hear it now, “Oh you poor thing!” Do you realize though, that I take as much flack for being small sized as my larger sized sisters do? And even being smaller in size, there are still things that I absolutely do not and will not ever love about my body. There are things that if I’m in a particularly snarky mood, the voices in my head bitch and moan about. That is just the reality.
Then when people make comments like “Oh, I wish I was your size. You’re so lucky…” or “You’re so tiny…what do you have to complain about…” and my mind is in one of those aforementioned moods, I really come down on myself. I wonder what is wrong with me that I’m not 100% happy with the way things are. What exactly is your problem I ask myself.
Here’s my point, no one is 100% happy with themselves; whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. And if you are 100% happy with yourself, then damn girl, what’s your secret? There are things about every single one of us that can be improved upon or that we are not happy with. And it’s okay to not be happy with everything or to want to improve those things, even if they are body related. Not being ecstatic with everything about my body does not make me ungrateful nor does it mean I’m a whiny baby in need of ego strokes. It simply means that I’m human.
Now, do I waste precious hours of my life obsessing over body issues? Nope. I’m at a place in life that the vast majority of the time I am relatively happy with myself. I accept that I have wrinkles, and cellulite and saggy bits; those things don’t define me. But are there times when perhaps I catch a glimpse in the mirror at a not so flattering angle or something doesn’t fit quite right and I feel all sorts of icky? Yep. The key is though, I don’t take up residence in that particular place in my head.
I think that is what we need to keep in mind with the proliferation of body positivity flooding our social media feeds…it is a beautiful thing to feel fabulous about ourselves no matter what; that should be our goal and that is where we need to spend the majority of our time. But it is also perfectly okay (and perfectly human) to have moments when we don’t feel fabulous and when we aren’t entirely at peace with our bodies. When those moments do inevitably happen, we just need to acknowledge them, remind ourselves that we are indeed a super fabulous badass regardless of the perceived flaw of the moment, and then simply get on with our day. It’s okay to not feel positive all of the time and to have insecurities, just don’t let those insecurities define you.
THE OUTFIT
How cute is this red tropical print maxi that I found at Walmart? It’s actually probably more of a midi if you’re closer to average height, but for those of us who are stature impaired it makes the perfect maxi dress. And bonus points because it’s off the shoulder, but has straps, which is my favorite way to wear anything off the shoulder. The straps minimize the need to fuss with the off the shoulder sleeve placement every time that you move.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times…Walmart. Is. Killing. It. In the Spring they added two new clothing lines, Time and Tru and Terra & Sky. Plus they’ve also kicked up their existing lines several notches; the tropical print maxi dress that I’m wearing today is No Boundaries and I’m telling you it’s fabulous…and less than $15. And no, this isn’t a sponsored post (I wish), I’m just sharing the love with all of you. And if you doubt me, check out the super cute cami that Linda is sporting today on A Labour Of Life. I have the same top in a gazillion colors. At under $5 a pop you can’t beat it!
As far as the sandals go, I found them at Target years ago. I did my best to find some suitable substitutes for you because you’d be surprised how versatile they are and how many things they will go with. I’ve found that turquoise adds just the right pop of color to so many things.
THE TIP
Today is a two-fer…First, get yourself to Walmart pronto. And second, try adding something turquoise for a little hit of color in your next outfit; it works with neutrals, other bright colors and is especially pretty with white.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Dress: Walmart; Sandals: Target (Similar)
