Everyone’s journey through life starts differently, has different obstacles, and will end differently. Key word.... DIFFERENT.
But different isn’t negative, it’s unique.
Different is your story, your journey through life.
Everyone has their insecurities. Everyone has their struggles. Everyone is different.
I recently did a body positive shoot with a group of amazing girls that are apart of my VIP group. We had so much fun! They told me their stories and I’m so proud of them. How strong they are and what they’ve overcome.
I’m going to share their stories with you and I hope you pass them along in hopes that it finds someone who it can really help.
“Hi, I’m Brianna.
I was diagnosed with Anorexia. I struggled for a
couple of years with this disorder. So much so that
I ended up being hospitalized and put through a
treatment program for it. I felt hopeless and not
good enough. I just figured this was a part of my
life forever now. That all changed the day I found
out I would be having my first child. Everything was
changing very quickly, especially my body. I was
forced into accepting the stretch marks, the round
belly, the swollen legs and face. All of it seemed so
overwhelming.
But as soon as I met my sweet boy face to face, I
knew life was so much more than worrying about
what I looked like. From then on I have loved
myself and my body in such a way that I'll forever
be grateful for. All of the pain grew me into the
strong woman I am today so that I can be an
advocate, an anchor, a rock, a supporter for those
who struggle to love themselves and their beautiful
bodies in any way!”
“Hi, I’m Kimberly.
I have been a bigger girl almost my entire life. My
weight has always been a battle and I have always
hated myself. I expected everyone to be disgusted
with me because I was disgusted with myself. I’ve
battled anxiety and depression and had to go on a
deep soul search to find myself and accept myself.
I finally realized this is the body I was blessed with
and nothing will change it. I learned that the
person I was on the inside was strong enough to
overcome my insecurities and truly love myself.
I had to learn to give myself grace and that I’m not
for everybody and that’s okay, I’m enough for me.
No woman should ever feel less than because of
their body. You have so much more to offer and
you are beautiful no matter what, because no one
else gets to be you at the end of the day. Women’s
bodies do incredible things. Embrace the stretch
marks and curves. Give yourself grace and always
know you are incredible in your own way.”
“Hi, I’m Ashley G.
I'm 33 and I've struggled with my self worth my
entire life! As a young girl I was always compared
to other family members or girls my age. I was
shorter than most yet over "blessed" in other areas
so it's gotten me unwanted attention a lot of the
time.
Yet all while people around me tear me down
from the inside out. I always thought the only thing
I had to offer was my sexuality. I didn't learn until
my 30's who I actually am. I've had my failures and
my successes but as I stand today
I'M PROUD OF ME!”
“Hi, I’m Tori.
I have always struggled with my stretch marks.
Although I can see someone else with stretch
marks and think their body is absolutely beautiful, I
have never accepted them on myself. Since
getting pregnant they have gotten worse, and I
have been so much harder on myself and definitely
shed some tears over them!
But I know that I am
creating a life inside of me, and there is nothing
more precious than my body growing for her!
Everyone’s body endures different things in life that
make them look the way they do, and that is
exactly what makes us all beautiful. Normalize
normal bodies!”
“Hi, I’m Chayton.
Loving myself has probably been the hardest thing
I’ve learned to do. I’ve been made fun of since
grade school. Hating the scale and hating the
mirror trashed my mental health. Battling
depression for years I almost lost my fight.
Struggling with an addiction, I hated myself. I lost
sight of who I was and where I wanted to be. Self
harming and suicidal on top of the addiction left
me at the lowest point in my life. I have fought for
four years now, clean for three and a half. While I
don’t see myself as perfect I have learned to
accept every scar, every story, every lost memory. I
am beautiful inside and out. I love my body, for it is
strong and a fighter!
Everybody is a BEAUTIFUL body!”
“Hi, I’m Sky.
My whole life I have always struggled with the way I
look. I was bullied all through school and got called
things like "porkchop" or "marshmellow." I always
felt like the little guy. It wasn't until a few years ago
when I met my fiance that I really began to see the
true beauty within myself. It makes a difference
when you have someone in your life that constantly
tries to remind you how beautiful you are.
It was then when I decided he was right and that I
was not going to let the negative words hurt me
anymore. Sometimes I wish that I was a little
smaller, but I know that I am more beautiful than
what I can ever see in myself and being confident
in who I am and what I look like is the biggest key.”
“Hi, I’m Keera.
All my life I’ve had multiple eating disorders. It
really got bad when I got married to a man who is
mentally abusive. He made it obvious that if I ever
got fat he would leave. Even during my pregnancy I
would starve myself enough just so I wouldn’t put
on too much weight. Still to this day I look at myself
and see part of me getting fuller and think about
how to get rid of it.
It wasn’t until I learned that my worth is endless in
God's eyes and I shouldn’t rely on a man that I
finally overcame. Now I focus on
what makes me happy and just workout to
maintain my body frame.”
“Hi, I’m Ashley K.
My biggest insecurity had always been what
pregnancy would do to my body and my self-
image. I had been bullied by family members that if
I gained weight other than baby weight during
pregnancy, then I’d just be using pregnancy as an
excuse to get fat. I was constantly given
“instructions” on how to avoid unnecessary weight
gain, stretch marks, how to lose weight fast after a
baby, I even had someone say to me “well that
baby surely doesn’t weigh 40lbs”... after I delivered
my second child, my body didn’t exactly “bounce
back.”
My body changed so much, I didn’t even
recognize myself in the mirror anymore. It has
taken a lot of tears, words of encouragement, self
love, acceptance, and reassurance from my
husband that I can still look and feel beautiful with
40 extra pounds, stretch marks in places I didn’t
think possible, tired breasts working round the
clock, and irreversible bags under my eyes. I’m
learning to love my body again because I have
accepted that my body made the necessary
changes to bring beautiful life into this world, and
for that I am thankful.”
From being bullied in school all the way to motherhood, everyone’s story is different. I just know how amazing every single one of these ladies are. Their story isn’t who they are, but it definitely made them who they are today. Strong, beautiful, amazing, and supportive women! Don’t let your story take you over. You can overcome it. We need to normalize normal bodies.
Accept that we grow, change, and that our bodies will too.