Hi, my name is Kaone and I am insecure with the body I am in

Kaone Kario | Monday May 19, 2014 13:25

Growing up I was seldom complemented for my looks, in fact I was ridiculed. I was the awkward, thin, talkative, tomboy, so winning a continent wide model search came as a bit of a surprise, some cosmic joke.

Needless to say, it was a magical journey filled with bright lights, television audiences, memorable parties, and ultimately a very lucrative modeling contract. I enjoyed every minute of it, but at the same time it was all very confusing.

 I was never given a chance to fully reconcile the painful self-image issues of my youth with my newfound respect and admiration as the continent’s top model.

It is an accelerated version of what every woman has experienced in some way, spending a lifetime trying to overcome the awkward moments, low self esteem and doubt we experience in our youth. The work it takes to reconcile the woman that you are to the awkward girl you used to be. We are more evolved, more beautiful, more dynamic, and yet unsure as ever.

When your body is the vehicle through which you make your livelihood, you cannot help, but pay lots of attention to it. On any given day I have the ‘I am so fat moment’, are you sure you want to eat that? “ooh! What I would give for her body”, it’s completely irrational but on some days it does get the best of me.

The irony of it is that I body bashed myself and felt fat even when my body was skinny, when it took the least effort from me.

It has been a few years, my body has changed, and the shame and bullying of the body still lingers. How often do you stand in front of the mirror and only see what’s right with it?

The women we admire in magazines, or on our television screens feel just as much pressure and insecurity, maybe even more because they are supposed to be the epitome of perfection.

Those are the bodies most women want, but remember that what you see has been manipulated in some way. Through lighting, makeup, or Photoshop, just to name a few.  I wonder why we started being so ashamed of our bodies, who told you, your stomach isn’t flat enough? Your thighs are too big? Why women are so quick to point out that so and so has gained weight? “O mmone o nonne”, “naare o nonne”? I know most of us don’t say this with the best of intentions.

The world does not make our insecurity issues any better.  We don’t need to make any additions by bashing one another. It’s time to make peace with our bodies, It’s the only one you will ever have and there are far more important things it’s doing right now, like making sure that heart of yours keeps beating, those lungs are pumping air in and out, you don’t even have to think about it.

Your body is a miracle please, be kind to it.