Do you have acne-prone skin? Short, pale eyelashes? Cellulite? Wrinkles? Bingo wings? Limp hair? Do you have amazing long legs and a disproportionately short torso? Do you have boobs so big that you can’t buy bras at Macy’s? Do you have linebacker shoulders? Do you have legs so muscular that skinny jeans look positively bizarre on ya? Do you have stubby fingers, multiple chins, a Happy Trail, a flat chest, scars?
Even if you have all of the above, there is nothing wrong with you.
NOTHING.
Just because you’re not tall. Just because you’ve got unruly locks and blemished skin. Just because you don’t look like a supermodel or an actress, or your best friend or Michelle Obama or that woman at the gym with those amazing abs doesn’t mean that your body is wrong, flawed, imperfect, bad, or worthy of scorn.
You may not realize this, but you are an organic masterpiece. Everything about you exists for a reason. You may not know why you have big square knees or unmanageably curly hair, but your genes do. The story of your body is written by your genes, and every single thing about your body – from the way you gain weight to the way your eye color shifts – is described by them. And when your genes wrote the story of your body, they didn’t want it to be boring or commonplace. They didn’t want you to look like a generic human. They wanted to make you completely unique. So they gave you subplots and surprises, historical references and quirky characters. They made you YOU.
And shifting your appearance, manipulating your muscles, tending your body inside and out are all beneficial activities. They forge your relationship with your physical self, a relationship that should be based on respect, love, and stewardship. Wanting to exert some measure of control over your physical appearance is natural, and doing so with an eye toward self-care is constructive. But never forget that when you succumb to the belief that your body will remain shameful, weird, ugly, or sub-par unless you undergo drastic change or manipulation, you are denying the story of your body. And that story will be told, no matter how you attempt to quiet it. So don’t slog through the story of your body weighed down by manufactured discontent and oppressed by unrealistic expectations. You’re better served to celebrate it, every single day of your life.
So you, with the chin hair and the abundant freckles. You, with the skinny arms and legs, the stretch marks, and the monkey toes. You, with the spare tire, the graying hair, the apple bottom.
There is nothing wrong with you.
You are beautiful. Right now, today, just as you are.
Just ask your genes.
Image courtesy Paleontour.
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{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
"You are beautiful. Right now, today, just as you are."
Nice one Sally! We should be championing our differences & uniqueness. We are ace.
Thank you for the pep up- always!
Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge
Thank you for posting this…very inspirational:)
This is beautiful and thoughtful and so well written. Thank you for writing it – I needed to read it.
Thank you for writing this beautiful post! I was having a little bit of a blah morning, but you have inspired me to get out of my funk.
Wow, you can really write! This was a marvelous post. I struggle with self-love at times, like we all do I'm sure, and your reminders to celebrate our uniqueness are always a breath of fresh air. I feel a twinge of pity for people who have such self-loathing that they undergo extensive plastic surgery — they don't look young, or fresh, or well-rested. They just look weird to me!
This post made me smile. Literally.
That's awesome, thank you, Sal!
You are so wonderful Sally! Such an inspirational post!
Thank you…
xo
Melis
Love it! As I get older and more observant about things, it's fun to try and see where things come from… I can look at my dad's sisters and see why I have red hair although neither of my parents does… and that my mom and I have the same small stubby fingers… and that thanks to my mom's whole side of the family, I've had glasses since first grade. It's interesting to try to find the history and the interplay.
Oh, I SO needed this today. I just discovered yesterday that I have sewing fitting issues due to my "rounded shoulders." I started reading about rounded shoulders and the aging process on women's bodies, and have totally freaked myself out for the day. Thanks for bringing me back down to earth.
This is awesome (as usual) and fits in with the epiphany I had a few months ago. I was feeling down about the difficulty I have finding pants that are not too big in the waist when they fit my hips & thighs. Then I realized that my body didn't have anything wrong with it, it was the clothes that were wrong. Who were clothing manufacturers to say what shape my body should be? My body is the result of the mixture of genetics of my parents, whom I love dearly and who love me. My body shape is the mixture of my grandmothers, both of whom were amazing women in their own way, and my shape is an echo of my aunts – who are also wonderful people. There's nothing wrong with my body. It's the clothing manufacturers that have it wrong. Oh, and those stretch marks & saggy skin? The results of pregnancy. I love my boys & wouldn't trade them for perky breasts & perfect skin and a million bucks. No way, no how.
Our bodies definitely tell a story, the story of our ancestors, and the story of our lives to date. Maybe the story isn't always 100% good, but it's what makes us who we are.
I didn't mean to run on like that. You often inspire me, though!!
Knew it already
But it took me years to get to that point
Now I'm at peace and very comfortable with myself.
Style on a String ..because style has nothing to do with money.
ah. nice one. i needed to read this today…
I have to ask: what's a "happy trail"?
What a nice message!
Iheartfashion: Ahhhh, a "happy trail" is a long line of belly fuzz. It leads from your navel to your ladyparts … therefore creating a HAPPY trail. Eh? Eh?
That was very moving, I loved it! I'm so glad I stumbled upon this blog today. =)
Hi there! Wow!! !! What a well-put, beautifully inspiring post. Thank you for your wise words.
(I found your blog through DADDY LIKEY btw)
* : )
"Do you have linebacker shoulders? Do you have legs so muscular that skinny jeans look positively bizarre on ya?"
Yeeeeeeeesssss! I have both of those things. It took me forever to love the shoulders and I'm still working on the big legs.
I always love your inspirational "you're awesome" posts. Thanks for sharing. <3
I am an organic masterpiece!! Love that. It's a terrific message because it's true.
Thanks, Sal.
You're beautiful, too.
Beautiful post. May I add that I believe this is all the doing of our creator, the one God.
I do agree with you, we have to accept ourselves as we are…
Great post Sal!
Can we make this post compulsory reading for EVERYONE, especially the idiots out there who don't know it xx
I'm amazed by how you are so consistently this good. Brava!
I am hoping that the genetic reason behind my disproportionately large hips and rear are for easy childbirth! ha! just kidding, this was beautiful sal:)
Already Pretty,
I love you and I don't even know who you are. This is exactley the bedtime story EVERY MOTHER needs to tell her daughter!!! AMAZING
Sally, you are brilliant! Inspired as always.
"You're an organic masterpiece."
SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I loved this post!
On the same note, check out http://operationbeautiful.com
I found this site yesterday from another blog.
It's an awesome collection of people spreading the encouragement of self love.
Oh goodness, Sal! Now I'm crying at work! I think this is definitely something I needed to read and I suspect I'm not the only one. I feel like now I need to go home and write the story of my body! (And I think I will!)
Wonderful post. I read fashion mags like I read science fiction/fantasy. Entertaining but not based in reality.
I always say "Talk to yourself the way you talk to your best friends." You would never call your friends fat, too short, etc. If anything we defend them against their own inner voices. We need to start defending ourselves to ourselves.
This is a little off topic…but I read a book called Geek Love years ago. It was about carnies. And how they valued people people for being different – unique. The freakier the better. The protagonist was just an albino dwarf. Nothing too interesting or special. I thought that was an interesting concept to be valued for being completely unlike anyone else in any way.
thank you, sal!!! xoxox
thanks so much for this. I'm sending all my girlfriends to you!
Wonderful post – thankyou for sharing such great thoughts.
As someone with a beautifully long torso and annoyingly short legs, I applaud your post. Sally, you rock!
awesome!
what a beautifully written and self-esteem boosting post! I am so glad I delved into your blog today, Sally… it is just what I've been looking for. I just subscribed so I'll be notified of all your posts, and now I know where to go when I need to be reminded that beauty is so much more than the cookie-cutter images our society is plagued with on a daily basis. Thanks for all the effort you put into "Already Pretty!"
The idea of every body having its own story is lovely and very well put, Sally.
I am trying to show the love to my spider veins. It's much easier, in tights, in winter.
i think you were speaking to me directly! with curly hair and changing eyes and stretch marks.
thank you so very very much!
Thanks for this. I just found your blog via Already Pretty and this post of your moved me.
=]
…thank you!
I love this post. Thanks for the post, I needed it today
What if all women, everywhere truly got this?? How would the world be different? How would our daughters learn to love themselves?? I will be linking this post on my blog radicalhateloss.blogspot.com!
Amen! I try to promote this with my readers. Celebrate who you are and stop trying to be Catherine Zeta Jones. We already have one of those.
It's great to be reminded of how important it is to stay grounded and love who you are and most importantly how you look. Thank you for this!
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