Yes. It is. It always has been.
Your body is already ready for summer, for joy, for life. Go out there and enjoy your delicious, messy, beautiful existence.
It breaks my heart how many of us struggle with body image, how we’ve been taught to dislike, even hate, the very body that carries us through life. We stand in front of mirrors and fixate on the things we’d change. We hide photos where we don’t look “flattering.”
We shrink ourselves, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and socially.
We give so much energy and importance to how our body looks that it often robs us of fully living. Maybe we skip the beach day, don’t wear the outfit we love, or hold back from dancing freely, because we’re worried about how others might perceive us.
But seriously: your body is beautiful. Think of all the things she does for you. She carries you through every adventure, every challenge, every morning you rise again. She holds you even when you speak to her with unkind words or hide her from the world.
You and your body came here to live. To feel the sunshine on your skin. To eat fruit that drips down your chin. To laugh so hard your belly hurts. Imagine how much more joy and energy you could have if you stopped worrying about how you look in a bikini, and just put the damn thing on and ran straight into the ocean.
What if we shifted the focus from how we look to how we feel? What if the way we eat or move wasn’t about punishing ourselves or becoming smaller, but about nourishing ourselves, fueling our energy, our joy, and our soul? What if movement became a celebration, and food an act of love?
This summer, I hope you stand in front of the mirror and tell your body: You are beautiful. I hope you begin to love even the parts you once labeled “imperfections.” Because often, those are the exact features someone else sees and thinks: wow, that’s what makes you so radiant, so sexy, so you.
I hope you buy that bikini. Wear the bold dress. Take the photo. Go to the beach. Dance all night. And not for one second let your body hold you back.
Because summer ready is not something you have to become. Summer is here. You are here. Your body is here. And she is worthy of joy exactly as she is.
Don’t change yourself to fit into someone else’s standard. Only change something if it’s in devotion to your heart, your soul, your truth.
You are enough. Always.
