More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament

by Lexie Kite

Positive body image isn’t believing your body looks good; it is knowing your body is good, regardless of how it looks.

Desiring validation for your looks isn’t bad—it is completely normal, and that positive attention can be very affirming. Beauty can be fun and a creative expression. But experiencing and valuing yourself as a whole, embodied human means making sure you aren’t prioritizing validation from others above your own well-being, health, and happiness, and not prioritizing an external perspective of who you are.

No more trying to squeeze ourselves into the narrow molds of our cultural beauty ideals, and no more trying to stretch our cultural beauty ideals to fit all of us. No more struggling to convince ourselves we are all beautiful since beauty is the greatest source of value and confidence we can imagine. Let’s imagine something better than beautiful for ourselves and everyone we love.