All in
the name of whatever it is you stand for, there will usually be someone who
will not benefit from your fight. And when you fight, do it with the sense of
gusto that runs over those whom do not stand with you or stand for what you
believe in.
Let’s
take a look at body shaming. Women who are bigger feel that they are not women
enough compared to the advertisements they see with girls who have the hips of
teenage boys and almost asymmetrical faces. Skinnier women (genetically) are
constantly reminded that they are not real women due to their lack of curves.
This is due to advertising media jumping on the “plus size” model bandwagon. The
great contradiction of being a woman. It is great that the images of women in
advertising is ever evolving, however being shamed for your body type is
growing just as fast.
Growing
up, I was handed bulimic self-help books not because anyone was concerned, but
because I was skinny. I was always a slow developer and even ate more than most
my peers. It wasn’t until later in my teen years in modeling that I developed a
serious case of bulimia because I was simply told I had too much body fat by an
agency. I struggle with my own body image, just like everyone else. Just
because I am skinny, this does not make me an exception. The many years I’ve
spent being shamed into being a certain body type made me modify my behavior to
fit what everyone else wanted me to be. The image that I have of myself now is
based on myself and not what others think. My self-worth comes from inside me
and not others opinions.
Ladies
and gents (guys struggle too), please don’t let shame make you believe your
worthless. Use shaming to your advantage. Take it in stride. Every time someone
says you can’t, tell yourself you can. When someone says you won’t accomplish
anything, say you will. Shame can be our ultimate defeater and destroy us or it
can be a great motivator. Either way, you have the power to make the ultimate
decision on how you feel about your body.
