Helping others feel good in their own skin

During my freshman year, body image was never something I used to discuss. It wasn’t something I thought about, when in reality, it was constantly being engrained into my mind to think and look a certain way. Society has a way of pushing photos of women in other women’s faces that make you feel like if you aspire to look like that, you will be happy, rich, successful, and invincible. It’s something that isn’t talked about because it’s embarrassing and hush hush-- until it’s not.

I joined a sorority my freshman year, and to earn “points” for a new member system, I attended something called The Body Project. All I knew about it before going was that it was a discussion to talk about our bodies (or something of that sort--my memory has weakened over the years, sorry) and to only come if you were willing to be open. Showing up, the room was tiny and cozy and conversation was lighthearted. During the sessions we talked about how to stay body positive, how to maintain a positive body image, how to derail fat talk, and how to support other women and mostly yourself.

After, we got an email from the fabulous head of The Body Project, Laurie Fritsch, asking if there was anyone who wanted to be a facilitator. I immediately knew it was for me. This upcoming semester, I will begin my senior year and my third semester of being a Body Project facilitator. It has honestly changed who I am as a person and I cannot imagine not being a part of it. 

With The Body Project, I lead biweekly discussions with 8-10 sorority women and two other facilitators. We engage in activities to get participants open and honest about society, pressures we face, and ourselves. The idea is to get women comfortable with talking about their bodies, their insecurities, and their proudest moments. It is a completely judgment free zone and the dialogue is authentic and refreshing. Each session I learn something new about myself, and I learn a lot from the participants.

My fondest memory of facilitating The Body Project was last year. I had a group of girls participating that were all friends with each other. One of the girls, after hearing me open up about certain body image issues I’ve been familiar with, decided to open up about her own. She said that she had struggled with an eating disorder in the past and went into detail about her habits at the time and how she is able to cope with it now. After she spoke out about this, her friend said, “Why did you never tell us? I’m so sorry.” She responded with, “I’ve never felt comfortable talking about it until now.”

This is why I do it: to create an environment where women can talk about their insecurities and turn them into strengths, so that no one ever has to be alone in such a vulnerable state. We are all beautiful, and part of The Body Project is to help women embrace what they may feel embarrassed about. Radiate body positivity and I promise you will feel better about yourself along the way.

I thank The Body Project a million times over for giving me confidence, and then giving me the strength to pass it along to my peers. No one deserves to feel that they are not enough because of the way they look. Pass on compliments, smile as you go through life, and feel good in your own skin.