The Body Positive (BP) Movement has revolutionized the way I live my life. By learning to shift my perspective from one of self-scrutiny to that of actual acceptance, I have stepped into a reality where I can genuinely love myself including my 260-pound queer body. There's no more distancing my personality from my body, no more comparing my worth to my BMI.
So, how did I get here? It wasn't easy and I'm certainly no expert, but I've picked up a great deal of experience through my journey thus far. These ideas are not novel but rather encompass what I've learned from surrounding myself with amazing body positive communities and content.

If you're interested in stepping into a life where your body is worthy of love as is, then check out my quick guide! Please note that many of the videos have strong language (and an even stronger message!).

Meet the Movement: Understand what the Body Positive Movement is all about:

This awesome video will break it down in less than five minutes! But the gist is defined by Marie Southard Ospina as " the idea that all bodies are good bodies" in the video. Check it out for a more in depth exploration of why this movement matters and what it aims to accomplish.

Preflection: Identify your sore spots:

Most people aren't publicly claiming they struggle with self-image, unless they're a loud blogger/journalist like yours truly. For this reason, many of us are living with wounds buried beneath the surface. If we don't face those realities, we won't even know what to work on!
After looking into the Body Positive Movement, I started to write journal entries answering the following questions:

What are the first words that I associate with my body?

What connotations are connected to descriptions of my body?

How have other people influenced the view I have of my own body?

What about my body do I scrutinize most?

Has my body image shifted over time?

What do I love about my body most?

What should I learn to love about my body?

What is my body capable of doing?

What is amazing about my body? About all bodies?

As I personally worked through these questions, I found myself writing "fat" on multiple occasions. But just like Marie says in the above video, the BP Movement wants to reclaim that term as being a descriptor with no connotation either way. Journal entries about the topic revealed that I had tacked a slew of other words onto fat -- worthless, shameful, ugly, unhealthy -- that were not actually part of "fat". Instead, they were negative associations I had been socialized to create. Just by reflecting on the above questions, I was able to gather a better understanding of my self-view.

Instant Relief: Connect with other stories:

I am a spoken word poet, so my bias is clear in this piece of the guide. But I have found a great deal of inspiration, support and guidance through simple videos of spoken word poetry pieces. In fact, these voices are some of the most influential in my decision to speak and write so openly about the experiences I've had in my own body.

Beyond poetry, there are countless lectures, songs, art pieces and comics spreading the BP message.

Below are some ideas of what to watch for an instant release. Delving into the stories of other people can't change your feelings overnight, but it can act as an impactful springboard towards healing. (Pardon my self-promotion, but I want to connect with all of you!)

That's me, talking about being fat. Because it's important!

Rachel has a fiery tone that hits hard. She also offers a beautiful tale of her love with a "Skinny Boy"

Mary Lambert is consistently body positive while simultaneously offering queer visibility. It's a win-win, but beware of some triggering imagery in this one!

In Depth: Make the "movement" personal:

As I've mentioned, this is about movement -- a social and political push towards eradicating injustice and oppression against marginalized bodies. In order for you to fully absorb the life-changing message behind the movement, you need to deconstruct the entire issue. I had to stop thinking of it as an abstract form of progress and instead a foundation with which to build my self-perception. This foundation includes a lot of other components too such as your cultural background, intersecting identities, or maybe your religious/spiritual beliefs.

The point of this guide is to dissect the most relevant parts of the movement and mix it into your daily life. It's an intentional step away from society's policing of bodies, which inevitably leads to a life where you can bask in self-love and appreciation. Here are some suggestions to deepen your understanding of these concepts in a way that allows for application.

Ask for help: Psychologists, social workers, and counselors are all great people to seek assistance from. They are an objective third-party who can develop a plan of action for mitigating the stressors and self-doubt most of us harbor to some degree. Remember that professional help is not reserved for any one issue or group and can benefit you regardless of the situation.

Be intentional: Don't just care about your body when it's convenient for you. Soak in the beauty of being a human. Crack open the anatomy textbook you threw in your bookshelf to look smart and reflect on the beautiful intricacies of your body. Reject media that acts as a source of shame. Cut ties with anyone who doesn't support your journey. You deserve to exert this energy on yourself, since it's not usually what we do.

Forgive yourself: Some days will be really hard. The mirror will be taunting you, your inner critic will be loud as ever, and you won't even remember reading this guide. That's okay. In fact, that's normal. This is a process, not an overnight transformation. Everyone struggles. Everyone gets a bit tied up. It's the fault of societal pressures and crappy cultural expectations, not a reflection of your own progress or worth.

Make connections: Humans are social beings who love to connect. Attempt to draw connections between different forms of BP media and your own experiences. Speak with others about your journey as often or as little as you see fit. Create a community who loves and supports you in every possible way, including your body.

Reflection: Value the power of a mirror

So many people, especially those with marginalized or oppressed bodies, struggle with looking in the mirror. But the cool thing about mirrors is that they quite literally offer a valuable moment of reflection. Instead of scrutinizing yourself each morning, try something different.

I make it a point to look at myself and mentally answer those questions I used in my "Preflection" section. I have close friends who write affirming messages on the mirror so they never miss a moment to be lifted up. Others might find value in verbal affirmations of self such as "You are worthy!"
These actions may seem small, but they have a snowball effect that I promise is worth the effort.

When we invest in our own well-being and happiness, even in simple ways, it increases our chance of finding true self-acceptance. Now that, my friends, is what the Body Positive Movement is all about. Also, it will help you appreciate the worth of others! That's a whole lot of toxic thoughts eradicated just by pressing into the idea that all bodies are good, no matter what.

To conclude, here's a fun picture of me at Disneyland -- very excited to see some big body representation in the Holiday parade. (I know it's a stretch, but I'll take whatever I can get!)

Now go love yourself. Ferociously. Intentionally. More than you ever thought possible.

You are worthy of this love.

You are worthy because you exist.

And you're not alone in any of this.