We’re all our own biggest critics when it comes to our own bodies.
It’s hard to look past all the things we view as ‘flaws’ and actually see what everyone else sees.
Louise Aubrey, a body positive activist with over 60,000 Instagram followers, is helping to smash our preconceived notions about our bodies.
Aubrey posted a side-by-side image on Instagram, pointing out what she sees when she looks at her body versus what other people actually see.
Where she sees a big nose, other people see a big smile. Where others see a strong butt, she sees cellulite and while others notice her long legs, she focuses on her back fat.
Sound familiar?
“I am guilty,” she begins her post. “As much as I preach self love and [have] truly made some progress accepting myself, there is something I really struggle with: pictures.”
Aubrey explains that whenever she sees a photo of herself the first thing she notices are her flaws.
“I always see what is wrong. ‘Too close’. ‘My nose appears too big’. ‘My legs look too white’. ‘I look terrible.'”
The fitness blogger explained that when she looks at a photo of someone else, she notices their assets first, not their ‘flaws’.
“So why not do the same with yourself?” she asks. “We really need to learn not to be so harsh on ourselves. It is not healthy. I am going to work on it, and I hope you will too.”
Aubrey’s followers were quick to comment and thank her for sending out such a positive message.
“I could not agree more with you! It is a constant work in progress & I’m sure we’ll get better at it,” one person wrote.
“Why do we always see the negatives about our self? Other people don’t. Thank you for your inspiration,” added another.
“I so easily critique myself and all of my flaws that others don’t see the same as I do,” someone else explained. “I keep trying to remind myself that this is me and I need to stop being so mean to myself.”
We love your work, Louise.
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What do you think of Louise’s body positive message?