Ghandi says “be the change you want to see in the world.”

And I think that may be the single best piece of advice I’ve ever heard when it comes to overcoming our personal body image struggles. 
 
While we logically know that poor body image affects all women irrespective of body size too often we forget that poor body image isn’t just a “me” problem — it’s an “us” problem; and this amnesia makes it so much harder for us to do the necessary work to overcome our food issues.
 
Body image work is hard — it takes courage, perseverance, and a willingness to be different“Me” isn’t often motivating enough to overcome the fear involved.
 
Doing things for ourselves isn’t nearly as convicting as doing things for others — especially the people we love. It is so much easier to make shifts in our own body image when we remember that we are not the only ones being affected by our behaviors. 
 
When we criticize and treat our bodies poorly, we model that behavior to the world around us; conversely, when we honor our bodies and proudly show ourselves to the world, we show others how to do the same.  
 
I choose to wear a bathing suit in public, because when I do, I give all women everywhere permission to wear one too. 
 
This isn’t just about me.
 
This is about fighting for all women’s right to exist in exactly the body they were born with. 
 
A little more motivating right?