Positively You

Actor Shikha Talsania opens up about her struggles with body postivity and how #LetsBreakTheRulesOfBeauty has been her life’s mantra

TO ALL YOU BEAUTIFUL WOMEN,

I have struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with my body and weight for as long as I can remember. Even as a child people would make all sorts of jokes, bully, comment on my body and offer me unsolicited advice about the kind of clothes that would look “good” on me. Did I have a foolproof method of brushing off the insults? If only I was more confident and more self-aware. It was an everyday emotional rollercoaster to say the least. On some days I would deal with the jibes by laughing with them at my own expense. At other times I would force myself to turn the other way and refrain from reacting when people said hurtful things. Fortunately, I found a wonderful support system in my family, friends and within myself. At no point was it easy. It has taken a lot of hard work and soul searching to not give up or succumb to low self-esteem. You have to work on it constantly, you have to be aware of what you are feeling. We all have days where we hate our bodies and days when we love it. It’s okay! Revel in it. The good, bad, ugly – all of it!.