I know what you did.
I see you.
You were scrolling the #PrimeDayDreamDeals, and you saw it. Maybe it was a bright, bold-colored swimsuit. Maybe it was that linen two-piece set. Maybe it was a crop top, or a pair of shorts that weren’t the “safe” length.
You hesitated. You thought, “Maybe. Could I?”
And in a burst of “treat yourself” energy, you bought it. It was your “dream deal.”
The package arrived today. You ripped it open, you held it up… and you loved it.
And then… you put it on.
You stood in front of the full-length mirror. And that nasty, lying, garbage voice in your head, the one we’re all trying to un-learn, started its nonsense.
“My arms look weird.”
“Ugh, my stomach.”
“This isn’t flattering. I’m not… ‘ready’ for this.”
“I’ll just… I’ll save it. For when I lose 10 pounds.”
“Maybe for vacation, but not just… out.”
This is your official intervention.
Go back to your room. Pick up that outfit. And PUT IT ON!!!!
I am not asking. I am telling you. With all the love and aggressive support I can muster through this screen… PUT. IT. ON.
“Ready” is not a size. “Ready” is not a number on a scale. “Ready” is a decision. And “later” is a trap. “Later” is where joy goes to die.
This #summer is not a dress rehearsal. It is the real, actual thing. It is happening right now. The sun is out. Your friends are making plans. Life is moving forward, and it will not wait for you to find five imaginary “flaws” in the mirror.
That outfit is not the boss of you. Your insecurities are not the boss of you. You are.
You know who is judging you the most? You.
You know who is thinking about your “flaws”? You.
Everyone else is too busy worrying about their own lives to care. And if they do care? If they do look? Let them. Let them see you. Let them see someone who is happy, who is confident, and who decided to show up for their own life.
That’s #bodypositivity. It’s not about loving every inch of yourself, every second of every day. That’s impossible. It’s about deciding that your right to exist, to take up space, and to wear what makes you happy is more important than your insecurities.
That outfit was a “dream deal” not because it was 40% off. It was a “dream deal” because you dreamed of feeling good in it. The dream doesn’t happen when it’s sitting in your closet. It happens when you wear it.
So, PUT IT ON. Put it on and go to the grocery store. Put it on and take a selfie. Put it on and sit on your front porch with a cold drink.
Your body is a good body. It deserves to feel the sun. It deserves to wear the clothes you love.
Put. It. On.
