I’m back after a wonderful week of vacation in Maine, and guess what?! Today’s my birthday! I turn 32 today, and I’m taking a little time to reflect. One week from today, I start a new job, and I’m really excited to start the next chapter in my career! I’ve been in my current job for almost three years, so making the leap is scary, but something that I knew I needed to do for me. I’m working on putting myself first and recognizing that I deserve happiness. What I’ve realized is that I have to believe in myself and focus on self-love if I want other people to love and respect me. A big part of that is learning to love my body, flaws and all. So, when we were in Maine, I put on my favorite one-piece bathing suit and did a little photo shoot on the beach. It was a little hard to put myself in the spotlight like that, but I felt good…and I think I looked pretty good too!
This photo shoot got me thinking more about self-love and body image. How many of us see other women and automatically compare our bodies to theirs? When was the last time you tried something on in a store and your first reaction was “damn, I look good!” instead of something negative? Have you scrolled through Instagram or flipped through a magazine and felt like you weren’t seeing enough women like yourself? I get it, and I’m with you. Self-love is hard no matter what size or shape you are, especially when you don’t feel like you have enough role models, but it’s totally worth the effort. It’s something I’ll be working on in the next year, and I hope you’ll join me. We only get this one body and this one life, so we may as well take care of it on the outside and the inside.
Sunnies: Madewell (similar), Bathing Suit: Bar III via Macy’s (similar style, also love this one)
Love this post. Would you believe I didn’t put on a bathing suit a single time this summer?! We never went to the beach or the pool or the lake or ANYthing, so I never had to think about it – but I’m glad to have reached a place where, even when don’t love my body, I feel comfortable just being what I am, beach-side & elsewhere.
Thanks friend! Glad you’re in a good place with your body too. So important!