To you,

Yes, you, with the body. This is for you. Girl, boy, somewhere in between, both, or neither, ANYONE, this is for you. It’s a message that everyone needs to hear. Deserves to hear.

Yes, you, with the body. Please stop judging yourself. Instead of looking in the mirror and seeing what you don’t like, look at what you do like. What you love. And then look again. Realize that what you don’t like is part of your wonderful self. You can either try and make it better or accept it. There’s nothing wrong with working towards what you feel could be the best you. There’s also nothing wrong with looking at yourself and seeing the best you.

Yes, you, with the body. Please stop putting yourself down. I hear it all too often, whether it’s from kids that are 10 or adults that are 75. You have one body. One vehicle. One home for your soul. Why hate it? You’re going to meet people that think you’re not good enough, not thin enough, not curvy enough, not smart enough, not strong enough, not cool enough- why be one of those voices?

Yes, you, with the body. Please stop wishing you looked like, acted like, or were, someone else. You were given this body and soul for a reason. Whether you believe in a god, gods, the power of the universe, or nothing at all, somehow, you are you. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason, so instead of wanting to shed your skin, realize that that skin is yours and only yours.

Yes, you, with the body. Please stop obsessing over your weight. It’s just a number on a scale. If you feel good, then what else matters? After all, your weight is just how much gravity is pushing down on you- and you can still stand.

Yes, you, with the body. Please appreciate yourself. Appreciate that your laugh, despite sounding crazy, or that funny little snort you have, or the shoulder shaking silent laugh, or the sweet little giggle, is yours. All yours. The way your jeans hug your hips but leave that annoying gap around your waist, or the way that flowery summer dress hangs down your long legs, is unique to you. Sure, other people can share the same body type, quirks, and personality as you, but no one has quite the same combination of everything that makes you, you. So appreciate it.

Yes, you, with the body. Please recognize that the very fact you’re reading this is quite amazing. I sometimes find myself marveling at the fact that we can think, see, touch, simply sense the world around us, and that we even just are. You’re breathing, blinking, your brain is sending signals throughout your entire body, and that body never stops. It’s amazing. Think about it for a second. Think about how your legs can carry you, your ears can hear the rest of the world, and that we communicate using a weird mix of sounds and facial expressions. Wow, just wow.

Yes, you, with the body. Please stop trying to be something you’re not. You are you, uniquely you, only you. You’re truly the definition of one of a kind.

Yes, you, with the body. Please stop caring about what other people think. People are going to judge. It’s going to happen. You shouldn’t be one of them. If you can’t support and love yourself, how can anyone else?

Yes, you, with the body. Please, please, please, love yourself. Love everything that makes you, you, inside and out. It’s easy to love what you see and not what you are, and it’s easy to love what you are and not what you see. Just do yourself a favor- love it all. Love all you’ve got because after all, it’s yours. What’s not to love?

Yes, you, with the body. Please realize that as different as we all are from each other, we still do share a lot in common. Others feel the same way as you, good and bad. Others have experienced the same things as you, even if they handled or perceived them differently. And we’re all people. All of us. Despite that we may look and sound different, a smile is a smile, a laugh is a laugh, and a cry is a cry. Love is universal, and so is loss and joy.

Yes, you, with the body. Next time you’re feeling alone, look around. Look for other faces and listen to other voices. Remember that we’re all unique but connected through an intricate, beautiful, web that stretches across this entire planet we call earth. Think about that each of us has a bit of stardust in us, so however small you may feel sometimes, a part of you was once a glowing, incredible, ball of light somewhere out in the universe. Remember that if you don’t feel this way, others do. While you don’t ever stress, others are surrounded by anxiety. If you need some positivity, someone else has got it.

Yes, you, with the body. Everything, you do, feel, and are, is simply magical. Just remember that you come from something as big as the universe and have the ability to feel and connect and grow. You are alive on this wonderful planet that’s our home, and there are a whole lot of other people sharing it with you.

Yes, you, with the body. Please, please, please, whatever you do, however you feel, know that you are what you are. Simply, you’re you.

From,

Someone else with a body.