Body Acceptance

Yesterday, I was reading a blog that I follow titled My Truth, My Clarity. Click the title to view. The site is written by a man named Anthony, whom I’ve never met but I enjoy his excellent writing skills and respect his thoughts and ideas. This particular post he named “Most vs. Least” in which he posted the three things that he most liked about himself and the three things that he least liked about himself. One of his honest revelations made me feel uncomfortable and that, in turn, led me to this post today.

The third item Anthony listed as being the things that he least liked about himself was this:

“I have been involved in an endless battle with my physical body. I’m thankful every day for my health. Truly thankful! I just wish I could get it physically to a place where I feel comfortable looking at myself in the mirror. I always feel fat. Just keeping it real. I guess I suffer from fat boy syndrome.. LOL. A sense of pride when it comes to my physique is much needed.” 

My discomfort with this paragraph comes from familiarity. It’s the same identical comment I’ve received from people who question me about naturism/nudism who offer it in defense of not becoming a bare practitioner. It’s almost as though it is a standard excuse for wanting to do something but being afraid of trying.

My own body is far from perfect. I’m not 100% satisfied with the way that I look bare (unclothed) but it’s the only body that I’ve got. I just accept it and move on with life. I try to improve the way that I appear to others but I never seem to get it right. I simply accept my efforts towards improvement and enjoy being clothes-free as often as possible. I know that I’m making a sincere effort in looking the best that I am able and not worry about what I’m unable to change.

For every imperfection, real or imagined, that an individual perceives, there is always another person who is experiencing the same insecurity. No one is immune to feeling anxious about their body. I always encourage others to merely visit a nude beach, remove their clothes and then look around them.

There is always someone else who is heavier, thinner, taller, shorter, darker, lighter, hairier, balder, etc. None of us are perfect. Even the most handsome and fit model or athlete have their own set of issues with themselves and their bodies. Very few, if any, of us are completely satisfied with our physical appearance.

When you’re standing on that proverbial bare beach property, I can almost guarantee that you’ll see others who are naked and look worse than you. If they can comfortable within their skin, why can’t you?

One of the benefits that I’ve experienced in social nudity is that it opens our eyes when we look around and notice others, not in judgment but in terms of acceptance. If we can be bare practitioners and embrace others for their pride in themselves and their imperfections, then we should all take the next step and accept ourselves and our own imagined shortcoming.

Naked hugs!

Roger/ReNude Pride