Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

What is the one word you would use to describe your body?

I thought about this question after watching the above video. My word is: Mine.

My body can be described positively as soft, rounded and huggable, or negatively as short, fat and occasionally broken. Light knows it’s far from perfect. But this is the body I have. It keeps me going. It helps me live. It is mine.

So few women feel this way about their bodies, which is unfortunate. Hating your body not only makes you feel miserable on a daily basis, it leaves you vulnerable to emotional, spiritual and physical attacks. You begin to think you’re unworthy or unloveable, that you deserve the cruelty that comes your way.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Photographer Taryn Brumfitt understands this issue, and is trying to unite women across the globe and inspire them to love their bodies.

“Women and girls are constantly held back and lead to believe they’re not as good as they should be. Why? Because every day we feel we’re being judged on our appearance and how far away it is from an unachievable ideal,” Brumfitt notes. “Lose weight, reduce wrinkles, fight cellulite; we’re constantly told to fight a battle to be someone other than who we are. Excessive photoshopping, the sexualization of women in the media and advertising campaigns that prey on women’s insecurities — it’s no wonder there is a culture of body loathing and body shaming of epidemic proportions going on in the world.”

To combat this cultural viewpoint, Brumfitt founded the Body Image Movement and launched a Kickstarter campaign to make a documentary called “Embrace.” The film, which is already fully funded, aims to spread a simple message: It’s okay to Love Your Body.

As a member of the Nerdfighter community, I spend each day trying to decrease the overall level of world suck. I supported Brumfitt’s project because I think it has an excellent chance of doing so.