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A post shared by Rising Woman (@risingwoman) on Apr 7, 2019 at 10:58am PDT

Perfecting our body brings us into a state of anxiety, as permanent perfection—in the material sense—is impossible.

All bodies age, shift, stretch, and change as we move through life.

Growing up in a culture that places an emphasis on idealizing “looks” sets us up for psychological harm. Many of us are challenged to embrace our form—we have been taught that our worth is our body and have become overidentified with it.

There is a noticeable shift occurring; we are reclaiming all bodies and all people as beautiful—and we are seeing this message grow. Yet, the hardest work of all is shifting our own beliefs systems, in knowing we are actually beautiful just as we are.

We can begin by recognizing and coming to terms with our self-loathing and outward projection of pain. When you see another’s beauty, maybe someone who fits the stereotype of perfection, and you feel anger, agony, and pain, practice turning toward the hurt inner child who is calling for your attention.

Look into the eyes of that child inside of you, remind them how worthy, lovable, and stunning they are—let that little one know you’re right there and love them deeply.
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A post shared by Rising Woman (@risingwoman) on Mar 19, 2019 at 8:29am PDT

Truthfully, when we look at someone and assume that they love their body, there is a good chance that they are hurting as much as we are—in fact, they are probably more like us than we realize. They themselves are seeking, and in need of, the same compassion and acceptance that you yourself deserve.

You’ll be hard-pressed to meet someone who doesn’t carry criticism about their form. Send them love, celebrate them, and practice returning that love toward yourself in the same breath. If we continue to look outward at other people’s experiences, we trap ourselves further in the comparison game.

We were all born into these bodies—no one had a choice—and we all must do the hard work of seeing the divinity in what we have and who we are.

We must hold one another’s hands, look into each other’s eyes, and see the tenderness of our human hearts.

We must work together to break down the stories that harm us, to rebuild together a world where we celebrate ourselves and one another.
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A post shared by H A R A (@hara_thelabel) on Apr 22, 2019 at 2:24pm PDT