NO to Negativity

Negativity is something I cannot handle in my life any more. I went through such a long period being completely down and pessimistic about everything and feeling sorry for myself, and basically, it was the worst period of my life. This had a lot to do with school and the fact that my Tumblr dashboard brought me even more negativity with the constant pictures of skinny girls, self-harm and pessimistic edits. During said time, my Tumblr was more personal rather than revolving around topics such as books and movies that I knew and loved. And believe it or not, this completely changed my perspective on the world and I found myself telling myself day in, day out that I was a washed up fat kid who would get nowhere with my life. It seemed people agreed in real life. Or so I told myself.

The only thing I could do was change this. I figured it was my life, I couldn't wait around for somebody to come and change it for me. The first step to a positive lifestyle is having the courage to believe that everything is gonna' be okay. It was around this time that I decided to do something about my weight. All my life I was called 'fat' and various other names, and it really pulled me down. So I decided to change: not for others, but for myself. That's step number two. Change, but only if it's what you want to do. If you like something a certain way, don't change it just because other's tell you to, change it because you want to. You should never let others lead your life for you.

Losing weight and cutting out fatty foods was a change that I wanted. And although it was hard, people complementing me on my progress proved that it was most definitely worth it. I've dropped around three dress sizes in less than a year and I am feeling the best I ever have done in my whole life. I feel good in my body. I feel happy to wear the things I want to wear. I feel like I have accomplished something in my life. I'm an average size now, but I know I will still get judged. But do you know what I say? Who cares, god dammit? We come in all shapes and all sizes. We have a pressure in society to look a certain way. To hell with that! If I want my curves, then I want my curves. If other girls want to be slim, let them be slim. If people want to choose eating some chocolate over going for a run, let them do so. It's their life and they can do whatever the heck they want with it.

Body shaming is one of the worst things that exists in this world. Why should all girls look a certain way, and why should all guys look a certain way? The most precious thing about humans is that we are all different. We look different, we act different, we like different things. Don't you think the world would be a little boring if we are all the same? Why can't people just accept that everyone is different? I hate the idea that body shaming exists. When somebody criticises a person's body shape, it makes a person feel humiliated and distressed. That criticism will linger for a long time; it will play on a person's mind, possibly for a lifetime. You may feel like your criticism is 'nothing', but to the person it's aimed at, it could be e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Body shaming inflicts pain upon a person, and it's a type of pain that's hard to put behind you. Nobody should have to experience it.

The key to happiness is accepting yourself. Look at yourself everyday in the mirror, and point out the positives rather than the negatives. "Hey, my eyes are such a pretty shade" rather than "Ugh, would you look at the shape of my nose..." Doing this will help you accept yourself, and you will have a better frame of mind. Next, if there's anybody negative in your life get rid of them. Don't kick up a big fuss about it, just push them away from your life. They're irrelevant to you and your happiness. Thirdly, dream big. Have an idea of where you want to be in the future and fight for your goal. Write a 6 month plan. If you say you're going to do something, do it. Be daring! And finally, if you're still struggling, enter the 100 happy days challenge at http://100happydays.com/ I've entered, and I'm only over ten days in to it and I am feeling on top of the world. I am so ready for whatever life throws at me and you can be too. You just have to decide to change for yourself. Find one small positive in everyday life and you will start to see the world with a brand new set of eyes.