Kim Kardashian I Love You!

Let’s talk about body image. I know, I know – it’s not fun! It’s not something we want to think about, let alone ponder. But alas, we need to talk about Kim Kardashian.

Working as a fashion stylist has shown me that our culture demands that we hate our bodies. This is perpetrated through fashion magazines, ads and endless marketing of anti-acceptance products. This hatred is a motivator for how we live our lives: it inspires us to exercise, diet, complain about our imperfections, and more.

Every day, beautiful women tell me why they hate their bodies. They say they are too short, too tall, too thin, too fat; their boobs are too big, their hips too small, their feet too large. They have an ideal, and they cannot feel happy until they reach it, because it’s shameful to love yourself if you’re not perfect.

It makes me wonder: when we are old and look back at our lives, will we have hated our bodies for 80 years? Will we have put ourselves through a lifetime of misery? It’s a depressing thought.

Here’s where Kim Kardashian comes in:

Recently, Kim wore a Vera Wang shorts suit while shopping in Miami. Huffington Post reported on the “questionable outfit” and asked readers to judge. All I could see was a major celebrity rocking a voluptuous and undeniably beautiful woman’s body.

Kim has a body that millions of women desperately want and torture themselves for, and, yet, she’s considered “big” in many circles. What’s inspiring about this image is that she has accepted her body and embraced it. She’s showing off those curves and telling us to do the same.

It’s time for each of us to follow Kim’s lead and embrace our bodies for what they are today. It’s time to strive to be healthy because it makes us feel good, regardless of how it may make us look.

Our thoughts have the power to both build us up and tear us down: negative feelings can come through in our demeanor as lack of confidence. This, in turn, can hold us back from reaching our goals – both professional and personal.

Let’s pledge to do one thing every day: look in the mirror and tell yourself one thing that’s beautiful about your body. When negative thoughts emerge, find another beautiful part and say it aloud.

If we practice this ritual each day, positive thoughts will grow. Perhaps, one day, we’ll look into the mirror and feel only unconditional love for our bodies. Imagine how great that would feel!

So try it! Try telling yourself how great you look. See what happens. You too can rock your body and choose outfits that show it off!

Let’s start a movement. Let’s inspire future generations to embrace their bodies and strive to live a happier life. Bring on the change.