From "Difference" to Diversity

Before I knew about The Body Positive, I had an experience of my body that was wrapped up in “difference”. I had a different skin color than my peers, different shape and size than my friends, different genetic heritage that dictated the size of my lips, the color and shine of my hair and the size of my legs and feet. What I didn’t know then which I know now, which is that the beautiful differences were diversity, not fat. 

All the differences I noticed were described to me and by others as fat because we didn’t know what else to call it. Magazines were telling us and older girls about what to wear, how to be in the world and about fat (or not wanting it), so I figured that the difference I saw had to be because of a defect in my body, shape and size and that I was probably to blame. 

As a freshman, when I first sat in the classroom where The Body Positive support group was held in my high school, I had this feeling come over me of excitement. This was where I could explore my relationship I had with my body and get new language, including LOVE for my body. This message about loving my body, insulated me from eating problems and body hatred throughout high school, college, graduate school and through the hardest times in my life. The foundation that I formed then, a powerful and dynamic relationship to my body, is one of wonder, gratitude and love. 

Being involved in The Body Positive as first a participant, then workshop facilitator and public speaker for over 12 years has been difference between me turning on myself in hard times when “difference” became known to me, and me turning my perspective and attention to wonderful diversity and loving myself and my body despite what is going on in my life. 

The love of difference is my beauty instead of “difference” as the absence of beauty. Not only do I take pride in the care and compassion I give to myself, I hold this for others in my life including friends, family and my community. My love for my body is my inherent beauty which allows me to care for myself and from this loving place see beauty and diversity everywhere I go, not difference.  

Nature's take on beauty of diversity, not difference