Loving My Body: Perspectives on Positive Body Image

My best friend said to me, “I never hear you complain about your body.” I thought about it for a sec and then said, “Hm, I guess I don’t.”

Her friend who was standing beside us asked me if there is anything special I do to feel good about it. It then occurred to me how rare it is for people to not like something about their appearance – the norm is to be dissatisfied.

IMG_9257

The truth is I love my body. Not in a personal-growth-let’s-be-positive-hoo-rah-rah kind of way. I truly do like it.

It’s my personal vehicle and allows me do amazing things. It’s not like a car that I can someday exchange. I only get ONE in this lifetime, so you bet I’m going to do my best to eat well, exercise, and be grateful for it.

My body gets me to the store. To a party. To the top of a mountain. It gives other people comfort when they need it. It fights off unwanted diseases. It keeps me alive.

108B6985

I’ve always had a general healthy relationship with it, but what really sealed the deal was when I read a book called The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz. In the book he talks about love making, and how you can only enjoy someone else’s body to the capacity that you enjoy yours. I thought, “Hot damn! He’s right.”

I want to love to full capacity in this lifetime and you know what they always say – it starts with you.

IMG_7303

Photos by Taylor Kinzie and Conor MacNeil

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Anthony Dallas

    Hi Christine, my name is Anthony Dallas, and I’m a 56 yr old photographer from Atlanta Ga. I really just started following you a few months ago because photojournalism is my true passion having shot for the DoD for over a decade around the world, around 27 countries on assignments. I’ve been a Navy Reservist also on deployment shooting as a public affairs photographer so to say I’ve seen a lot both good bad and all the in betweens is an understatement. What I’ve grown to love and be connected with, in your blogs is that your images are life and true with simple but enduring messages. Unlike what I’ve noticed with a lot of photogs as I’m attempting to go full time out on my own away from the DoD and studying others is that it seems that many follow styles, themes and editing processes that are popular. It has been a privaledge to tell he stories in images that our service personnel around needs told and the good things we do as a nation for those in need. So lastly I want to commend you on your thoughtful commentary about your life and the honest things that move you o live it to the fullest.
    Thank you,
    Dallas

Leave a Reply