This is something that I've been thinking about A LOT lately, and I need to talk about it today. Lately, I've observed so many hateful comments all over the internet of pictures of women, whether they're fat, thin, fit or somewhere in between. And guess what? Women are the WORST offenders when it comes to this. It makes me so sad that we do this to each other. It's as if a woman's body exists only to be judged, scrutinized, and evaluated.
This super judgmental behavior is a direct reflection of your own body drama. Admit it...you've probably said some pretty shitty things about another woman's body. I've been guilty of this myself. Every time I would experience an uncomfortable feeling around someone who I thought was too fat or too skinny, it had everything to do with how I hated my own body and NOTHING to do with the other person.
What the heck is "body drama"??
I define it as the constant, highly emotional, and sometimes turbulent and obsessive, relationship that we have with our own bodies.
Why in the world do we do this? Well, because in our culture a woman is supposed to look a certain way. If her body doesn't meet the standard that has been drilled into our heads, then it's not acceptable...and by association, SHE isn't acceptable. It's the feeling that many of us have experienced during our chronic pursuit of weight loss: once I get rid of THIS body and trade it in for a hotter, sexier, skinny version, life will be good and I'll finally be worthy.
After a lot of deep thought on this subject. I came to the decision that as a human being...as a woman, we have the right to love, accept, and exhibit our bodies regardless of what they look like.
The next time you start to judge or criticize another woman's body because it doesn't look the way it's "supposed" to, that's body drama taking over. When you see another woman and start to hate on your own body because it doesn't look as good as hers...body drama again.
Unfortunately, there's no simple cure for body drama because it's so tightly woven into our thoughts, beliefs, and language. A perfect example: Has someone ever given you a compliment of how good your arms look, then YOU say "Thanks, but I can't figure out how to get rid of the fat on my thighs". DRAMA.
Just say "Thank you!" and move on.
Awareness is the first step to shining a light on body drama. You can't change what you don't acknowledge.
In the American culture, it's very difficult (but not impossible) to cleanse yourself of this form of destructive thinking and behavior. However, through my own experience and my work with dozens of women, I've found that focusing on something greater than the fluffiness of your muffin top can significantly decrease the amount of body drama in your life.
When you actively pursue your passion and purpose, instead of your "ideal weight", you start to discover the truly amazing human being you are. Over time, the degree of body drama can drop dramatically IF you do the work required to free yourself.
Here's what I ask of you:
When you view someone as too fat, too skinny, or too manly, just remember that under the layer of fat, muscles, or skin & bones, there's an actual human being...because that's what you'd want someone to think about you, right?
Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. I could go on and on about this but I know you have things to do, so I'll talk to you next week.
Here's to no more body drama!