Learning to Love My Body: A Journey of Self-Acceptance
Introduction
Hey friends! There’s always something I find myself reflecting on, and as we move into 2025, I’ve never felt more at peace with loving myself than I do now. Recently, a TikTok trend went viral about conversing with your younger self, and it got me thinking, If I could talk to the younger me, what would I say? One of the biggest struggles of my adolescence was insecurity about my appearance, something I know so many of us have felt. My mom, who’s a principal (as I’ve mentioned before), recently put me on the phone with a girl who was feeling alone after being dropped by friends and picked on. I told her something I wish I had known earlier: this probably won’t be the last time it happens, but the right people will find you; just keep being yourself. As hard as that sounds, self-acceptance comes from peeling back the layers of insecurity and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Growing up as a girl, you realize that most of us are faking confidence while secretly comparing ourselves to each other. We chase ideals necessary for happiness, even when they aren’t what we truly want. But the only thing that should ever feel necessary is your happiness. The TikTok trend made me reflect on how my journey with body image, anxiety, and self-perception shaped me. And while I wouldn’t want to relive the struggles, I’m grateful for them, because breaking down those layers allowed me to rebuild myself into the person I am today.
The Struggles of Fitting In
Unfortunately, my generation of girls grew up surrounded by unrealistic beauty standards shaped by celebrities and social media. We were bombarded with images of perfectly airbrushed models and influencers, setting an unrealistic standard of beauty. Edited images became the norm, altering our perception of natural beauty. But I think it’s time for this generation to reclaim beauty without the need to fit into someone else's standards. In high school, it always felt necessary to keep up with fashion trends, attend every event, and do everything expected to make me “fit in.” Yet, even when I followed the script, I still didn’t truly love myself. I didn’t understand my big emotions, and because I didn’t know how to express them, they often turned into physical health issues. I was sick a lot, missing school for weeks at a time, and instead of understanding what was happening, people assumed I had an eating disorder. The truth was, my anxiety was manifesting in ways I didn’t even recognize myself. It wasn’t until I moved to a new city alone that I was forced to meet new people and figure out who I was. At first I kept running into the wrong people, and I couldn’t understand why. But once I found the right friends, people who embraced me entirely, I realized how much of myself I had been holding back. They allowed me to be my fun, outgoing self without judgment or embarrassment. In high school, I remember times when my friends were too self-conscious to dance in the middle of a party, and I held myself back because I didn’t want to stand out. Now, it’s one of my favourite things to do. It makes me wonder, if I had expressed my true self earlier, where would I be today? Looking back, I realize that struggling through those years was necessary. I had to be unguarded and figure things out on my own. Because when we shape ourselves based on what others expect, we lose sight of who we are. True confidence comes from embracing yourself, not from meeting a standard someone else created.
The Turning Point: Getting to Know Myself
Everything changed once I stopped blaming my looks and started recognizing the energy I was putting into the world. My struggles weren’t just about appearance; they were deeply tied to my mental well-being. For so long, I carried a constant tightness in my chest, thinking it was just a normal feeling. But over the past year, that weight has finally lifted because I’ve opened myself up in ways I never thought would be accepted. I can’t pinpoint when everything shifted, but I think it started when I embraced the idea of faking it and made it. Moving out of my hometown was a challenge. I struggled with living with other people because I always felt like I was in their space, not mine. I had spent so much of my life being the supportive friend, the one who was pushed under the rug, never realizing that many of those friendships were built on manipulation rather than genuine care. But when I moved out alone, I was finally forced to meet new people who truly aligned with me. That’s when I started expressing the personality that had always been inside me but was too afraid to come out. My old friend group kept me in a box, unwilling to let me grow. One even told my mom I wasn’t “well enough” to work at Disney World. And yet, here I am today: the happiest I’ve ever been. That’s why I always emphasize the importance of trusting your gut and doing what you need for yourself. Spend time alone. Learn what makes you happy. This year, I also rediscovered my love for solo travel, another experience where I felt utterly free, unbound by expectations. And that’s precisely what this time in our lives should be about: freedom, growth, and choosing ourselves. The journey of self-discovery is an exciting and empowering one, and I encourage you to embark on it with an open heart and mind.
Projecting Self-Love into the World
Once I finally took the time to focus on myself, everything started to shift. I deleted all my social media, spent time only with my closest friends, and moved back home to work on my personal growth. A few months later, at just 19, I moved to Florida alone. My energy was completely transformed when I completed my first program with the Disney Company. Being surrounded by like-minded, creative people who emphasized career growth, networking, and stepping outside their comfort zones made all the difference. This company has been incredibly supportive of my career goals, inspiring me to start this blog after my program when I moved back to Toronto. What began as a personal outlet has now become a way to share my self-growth journey, hoping it might help others. But if I could give one piece of advice, it would be this: Don’t listen to every piece of advice; figure out what you genuinely need for yourself. Once you find your voice, you can build your network and grow into the version of yourself you want to be. I’ve started speaking about myself more confidently, not because I have everything figured out, but because I trust my ambition and know I can do great things. People often ask, "What about school?" Since I took a year off, I know school will always be there. I trust my work ethic, and taking this Disney opportunity was the right step for my career. My friends constantly compliment my confidence, but what they don’t always realize is that I’m simply projecting the self-love I’ve built within myself. I hope that, through sharing my story, I can help you do the same.
A Message to My Younger Self (And to Every Girl Struggling)
Looking back at that TikTok trend, I’ve thought a lot about what I would say to my younger self. The first thing? You are enough, just as you are. I would be vulnerable with her; I wouldn’t sugarcoat it. The journey isn’t easy. There will be moments of deep insecurity, loneliness, and self-doubt, but I promise all the lows will make the highs even more meaningful. You’ll question if you’re good enough or if you're on the right path. And the truth is, you won’t always have the answers. But that’s okay. It’s perfectly fine to live a “normal” life, but if there’s something you dream of doing, take the risk. You have nothing to lose because the people who truly matter will always support you. And if they don’t? Maybe they were never meant to be part of your journey. I would tell her to embrace every moment, even the difficult ones, and to remember that nothing happening today will define her entire future. The things that feel overwhelming now, the insecurities, the doubts, the fear of judgment, will fade in time. And the things you’re insecure about? One day, they won’t even cross your mind. It takes time to love yourself, and it is not a linear process. Some days you’ll feel like you’ve figured it all out; others, you’ll struggle again. But when you reach the other side, finally stop seeking validation from others and realize your worth, it will be the most freeing feeling in the world. To every girl struggling: Keep going. You are not alone. You are stronger than you think. And your future self is already so proud of you.
Conclusion
Reflecting on where I am now and how far I’ve come, I feel gratitude for the journey that brought me here. Self-acceptance wasn’t an overnight realization; it was a process of unlearning, growing, and allowing myself to be seen for who I truly am. I hope that by sharing my story, I can encourage others to embrace their path, trust their resilience, and know that self-love is always within reach. That TikTok trend reminded me of something important: we owe it to ourselves, past and present, to be kinder, more forgiving, and more patient. If I could leave you with one thought, it would be this: your worth has never been tied to how you look, what you achieve, or who accepts you. It has always been within you. Keep going, and trust that the best version of yourself is already on the way.
