t's too often that social media doesn't showcase the entirety of life's moments. Those scrolling through post after post on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter rarely get a realistic, "behind-the-scenes" portrayal. As human beings, we love sharing our personal joys with others and on social media we share what we are willing to share with everyone - and why would we desire to share the bad moments of life with complete strangers?
Life, however, isn't all joyous all the time - and this is something that everyone knows. We have all experienced our own personal struggles. For example, I grew up hating myself, my body, and anything that I did. Like many other young children, I suffered by immensely hating my body type. I constantly compared my own, tall body with my peers. I was not a petite child, but that was no excuse for self-inflicted hatred I constantly felt. This hate infiltrated my creativity and my own self-perception. Looking back, it seems so awful that my childhood was ruined by so much hate and abuse. It wasn't myself I should have blamed, though. It was the constant pressure from society, family, peers, and media to be thinner and smaller. Girls are raised to value prettiness - and you couldn't be pretty if you weren't small enough.
In the past few years, I have started promoting body-positivity on social media. I often share my newfound confidence in myself (because I have learned to value internal beauty over external). While my confidence comes from knowing I'm a 'worthy person who is doing her best each day', I still have moments when I over-value my body and its physical appearance. In these moments, I often try to recognize the physical blessings that my body does for me. I can breathe, I can feel my heart beating, and I have the privilege of creating new ideas and bringing them to life. Not everyone has complete control of their bodies or minds, but we all have our own lives for which to be thankful.
Our souls, hearts, and thoughts are what truly carry us from day-to-day. They are what connect us as humans. Our bodies may look different from one another's, but diversity is such a beautiful thing. It's important to realize that it's what is inside us that truly matters, otherwise we judge ourselves and others unjustly. As a child, I failed to learn that it wasn't prettiness that mattered. While I learned what self-love is on my own, I want to remind others that it can be taught. Let's teach future generations to devalue prettiness and value love, diversity, self-compassion, and empathy for others.
Love from Lexy Spreitzer xoxo
- [ @lexysprite - www.lexyspreitzer.com ]
