The silent shame that lurks beneath your clothes

I see you struggling in silence with your body

Looking in the mirror and hating what you see 

Comparing yourself to how you used to look 

Berating yourself for being so far away from what you deem to be aesthetically acceptable 

Constantly searching for the 'solution' just so that you can be free 

Feeling guilty for having 'let yourself go' 

I feel your shame of your body not being good enough.  I feel your anger at your body for not being the right shape, only wearing clothes that flatter your figure whether you really like them or not and quickly throwing on the comfortable clothes as soon as you get in the door  I feel your frustration when your body is just not working for you and is letting you down all the time I feel your failure for not sticking to the diet you said you would to lose the weight you said you wanted to lose  I feel your shame and I feel your shame because I know that shame too  but I am learning to refuse to be prisoner to that shame  I will not let that shame shatter my self worth  and I will not allow that shame to stop me living a life I love  you see we all, in some way, shape or form have body shame  but no one really wants to admit the truth of it  because it hurts  it hurts because it's not just skin deep  it goes so deep  down to the core  formed by all the messages we've been fed by society our whole lives  formed by all the comments we've received when we've gained weight, lost weight, shown our wobbly bits or let our thighs visibly rub together in a pair of summer shorts  that shame has been formed and nurtured  by watching our parents try and cover up their shame by hearing our friends constantly talk about their bodies and their diets by seeing countless fat shaming, body stereotyping images at every turn  and it's time  to let go of that shame  to be free of the chains it has created keeping us prisoner within our own body it's time to stick two fingers up at the search for perfection that so many of us find ourselves pouring our energy into it's time to be free  from all the fat shaming behaviors we've built up from the constant dialogue in our heads blaring out from the I'm not good enough channel of our thoughts. it's time to realise that we are more than a sexualised physical body  it's time to see the beauty in every physical body so we can embrace it in ourselves too  it's time to make a positive impact on the younger generation by being the role models they can look up to rather than spouting rhetoric that we are not living ourselves. Creating actions, words and thoughts about our bodies that match the beautiful heart and soul purpose we know we can bring to the world are you with me?