I grew up in Brazil where femininity is celebrated and bodies are displayed. But there is intense pressure for women to fit into narrow beauty standards. My body has never fit those standards. I am curvy and have spent years hating myself. At twenty-five I made a radical decision: I would stop hating and start loving it. This was not about becoming confident overnight. This was a daily practice of self-love and advocacy. I unfollowed accounts that made me feel bad. I followed accounts showing diverse bodies. I wore clothes that made me feel beautiful. I stopped apologizing for taking up space. My relationship with my body has transformed. Now I can focus on things that matter: my work my relationships my purpose. My body is not an ornament. It is a vessel for my life.
Loving My Body in a Culture of Critique
