Let’s be honest - my dogs are far from perfect. They roll in things I don’t even want to identify. They both have questionable personal hygiene standards and neither of them has any regard for personal space.
And yet, I love them completely. Not in spite of their quirks, but simply because they are who they are. So why is it so hard to extend that same acceptance to our own bodies?
You Already Practice Unconditional Love—Just Not for Yourself
Think about it:
Your best friend is always late. Do you stop loving her? No. Your partner loads the dishwasher like a toddler. Do you leave them? No.
Your dog farts like an old man and still sleeps in your bed. Any less love? Not a chance.
So why do you think you need flawlessness to deserve kindness?
You’ve already mastered unconditional love—for your family, your friends, your pets.
You’ve already learned to accept imperfection in others.
It’s just that nobody taught you to turn that same kindness inward.
You Don’t Have to Love It to Accept It
Body confidence is sold to us like a fairy tale ending:
One day, you’ll wake up, look in the mirror, and love every inch of yourself.
Spoiler: That’s not how this works.
Confidence isn’t about loving every dimple, wrinkle, or scar.
It’s about deciding that you deserve kindness anyway.
Just like my dogs don’t have to be flawless to be worthy of love (luckily for them),
your body doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’ to deserve acceptance.
The Difference Between Acceptance & Love
We accept things long before we love them.
You accept that your best friend is messy, but she’s still your favourite person. You accept that your dog tracks mud through the house, but you wouldn’t trade them for anything.You accept that your body isn’t “perfect” (whatever that even means), but you can choose to stop punishing it.
You don’t have to adore your body to treat it with respect.
You don’t have to feel beautiful to decide you’re enough.
You just have to stop fighting it.
What If You Stopped Fighting?
What if you spoke to yourself the way you do your dog?
What if you stopped punishing yourself for simply existing?
Your body is not a project.
It’s not a before-and-after.
It’s not a problem to solve.
It’s just yours.
And you don’t have to love every inch of it to decide it’s enough.
Want to take this a step further?
At Smart Photography, we specialise in helping women see themselves without the filter of self-doubt.
If you’re ready to take a chance on yourself (even if you don’t feel ‘ready’), let’s talk.
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