When you look at people, what do you see first? What do you notice? Are they thin, fat, skinny, chunky, or muscular? I’ve noticed something in myself when a stranger walks into a room. I can immediately make snap judgments on their personality type or maybe how hard they work by the outward appearance. Ads, pictures, magazines, and social media make us shape that perfect look in our minds. However, I don’t think that “perfect look” actually tells us what’s going on inside of that body. Media defines us by how we appear but none of that matters. The shape of your body was crafted by a designer and there is no way your shape is going to fit that one size fits all mentality of the culture. Yes, life happens and we overeat, we don’t move enough, and we don’t always eat what’s best for our bodies. We should strive to treat the body well; however, striving to fit that perfect mold is not the answer. Our bodies were designed to need food rather than just sustain us. Our bodies were made to thrive and to indulge. We’ve made ourselves feel guilty for indulging in something that was made for us. Did you know food helps us fight bacteria, regenerate, and heal the body. Did you know that cravings actually signify deficiencies? Did you know that thin doesn’t automatically mean healthy? Someone might have a high metabolism but still be “fat” on the inside. So...next time you see a stranger be reminded that there is so much more to people than how they look. We downgrade scars, stretch marks, wrinkles; yet, those marks on your body are signs of bringing life into the world or living a full life. A life well-lived isn’t going to look shiny and perfect; it’s going to have some marks. I don’t want the media to paint my standard of beauty. Instead, I want to see myself and people beyond the physical. There is always so much more we just don’t see.
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