Good to your "self" - Week two: Enjoy

I hope you all are having a great week so far, it is Wednesday, we're half way to the weekend! Today's post is the second installment of Be Good to Your "Self" project where the hope is that you read and share the great things about you, instead of focusing on what you want to change.

So today we will talk about the second word from the list I had provided in my previous post. To recap, the positive "E" words are: Engage, Enjoy, Embrace and Empower. We covered Engage last week, so this week we will talk about Enjoy. 

There have been very few times in my life that I've been told that I need to enjoy my body, that I need to be thankful and happy with what I have, I've always been told that there is something "wrong" that needs to be fixed. Whether it be the length or style of my hair, needing to wear make up, working out to lose weight, get a tan because my skins too pasty, etc. There has always been something about me that needed to change. 

But why? And for who's benefit, yours or mine?

Why should we change our hair? Does it offend you? Is it not "in style"? Why should I wear make up? Does my natural state not represent who I am effectively? Why should I tan my pasty white skin? So I can have the summertime glow for you? Why should I lose weight? Am I in danger of having issues advised by my doctor?

No one could or would give me a direct answer. More like, "it's for your own good." So again, to whom's benefit would these changes be? What if I like not wearing make up all the time? What if I want to protect myself from getting skin cancer by not bronzing myself into oblivion? What if I like how my hair looks and styles? And heaven forbid, what if I enjoy how my body is and don't feel the need to fit your societal stereotype of skinny?

When do these comments become beneficial to the person receiving them? Maybe when the person themselves are saying they want that change, maybe? To which end I say, screw what other people say, they don't live in your body, they don't see what you see, feel what you feel and they sure as hell can't tell you what you should and shouldn't do for your "own good"! Thanks for the advice, but I'll do what I like, it's my body and I will enjoy it how I want!

I personally enjoy my legs. I love what they have done for me over the years. Through years of baton twirling events, ridiculous amounts of line drills and running during basketball, endless hours of marching band practices and performances and just recently, a few years of running. These legs have taken me so many wonderful places and have done so many wonderful things that not only do I enjoy them, but I am proud of and thankful for them!

So today, I want us to talk about a feature of our body that we enjoy! It could be your shoulders, your waist, your hands, your back, hell, it could be your knees! I just want to hear from you, what part of your body you enjoy and why. Because why the hell can't we enjoy what our body has given us? It is us, who we are and there is nothing wrong with enjoying what you have. So show off those body parts, be proud of that junk in your trunk, show off those chiseled arms, flex those running legs of steel, admire those petite wrists, whatever it is, show it off and be proud. There is only one you and you are perfectly wonderful in every way, strengths, flaws and all!