Body positivity is sometimes easier said than done. As a buzzword it’s lauded all over social media, but personal application can be tough. Learning that the love and acceptance that you give to others is also something you also deserve may seem like a foreign concept. But not to worry, we’ve gathered some sage words of wisdom to remind you that it’s okay to love the skin you’re in! Even if it takes a little time and practice to get there, you are worth it.
Here are 39 quotes on body positivity to inspire and empower you:
- “And I said to my body, softly, ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath. And replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this.’”—Nayyirah Waheed
- “Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”—Louise L. Hay
- “Just focus on being the best possible version of yourself and quit worrying about your thighs—there’s nothing wrong with them.”—Jennie Runk
- “Being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline. We need to start focusing on what matters—on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves.”—Michelle Obama
- “As for the rest of you, remember this: YOU ARE WANTED. Big, small, tall, short, pretty, plain, friendly, shy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, not even yourself. Especially yourself.”—Jennifer Niven, Holding Up the Universe Ourselves
- “I have a belly. And I have cellulite. And I still deserve love.”—Amy Schumer
- “The human body is the best picture of the human soul.”—Ludwig Wittgenstein
- “Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good.” — Serena Williams
- “Don’t waste so much time thinking about how much you weigh. There is no more mind-numbing, boring, idiotic, self-destructive diversion from the fun of living.”— Meryl Streep
- “People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.” — Salma Hayek
- “Each individual woman’s body demands to be accepted on its own terms.”— Gloria Steinem
- “Everybody has a part of her body that she doesn’t like, but I’ve stopped complaining about mine because I don’t want to critique nature’s handiwork … My job is simply to allow the light to shine out of the masterpiece.” — Alfre Woodard
- “My weight? It is what it is. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It’s about being content. And sometimes other priorities win.”— Melissa McCarthy
- “I’d rather look a little chubby on camera and look like a person in real life than to look great on screen and look like a scarecrow in real life.” — Jennifer Lawrence
- “You all can judge my body all you want, but at the end of the day it’s MY body. I love it and I’m comfortable in my own skin.” —Simone Biles
- “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
- “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
- “Even though it will never be flat again, my stomach’s still my favorite because it reminds me of my greatest achievement: my babies.” — Isla Fisher
- “I am allowed to look sexy, feel sexy, and be in love. I am worthy of all those things. And so are you.” — Mary Lambert
- “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
21. “What makes you different or weird, that’s your strength.” — Meryl Streep
22. “To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.” — Kurt Cobain
23. “It’s also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that’s sitting right here right now…with its aches and its pleasures…is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.” – Pema Chodron
24. “To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now.” -Alan Cohen
25. “The best gift you are ever going to give someone — the permission to feel safe in their own skin.”- Hannah Brencher
26. “This body had carried me through a hard life. It looked exactly the way it was supposed to.”― Veronica Roth
27. “Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you’ve got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect.” — Iskra Lawrence
28. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” — Marilyn Monroe
29. “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.” — Sophia Bush
30. “Your body. Your diet. Your life. It isn’t perfect. It never will be. But it’s real. It’s honest. It’s beautifully flawed. And totally magical.” ― Nicola Jane Hobbs, ‘Thrive Through Yoga’
31. “My body is not yours to critique and discuss. My body is not yours for consumption. My body is my vessel. An archive of experiences. A weapon that has fought battles only I understand. A library of love, pain, struggle, victory, and mystery. Your eyes cannot define all it has endured. Do not place value upon my body, place it upon my being.” – Sophie Lewis
32. “Value yourself for what the media doesn’t – your intelligence, your street smarts, your ability to play a kick-ass game of pool, whatever. So long as it’s not just valuing yourself for your ability to look hot in a bikini and be available to men, it’s an improvement.” – Jessica Valenti
33. “You’re a work of art, not everybody will understand you, but the ones that do will never forget about you.” – Amber Ibarreche
34. “This is it: This body is home. This is where I live and hang my hat. This is where I settle into my hips and sit easy in myself, slung together with strong muscles and bones, made gentle and forging with flesh. This body is durable, has lasted for years, hunkered down through fierce storms and allows for the peaceful erosion of age. It is like a cottage on the shore: weathered and well made, a place where a person could comfortably live. I like it here. It is my own.” — Marya Hornbacher
35. “When the demon starts to slither my way and say bad shit about me I turn around and say, ‘Hey. Cool it. Amy is my friend. Don’t talk about her like that.’ Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we would one of our friends is a hard but satisfying thing to do. Sometimes it works.” — Amy Poehler
36. “Worthiness does not have prerequisites.”— Brené Brown
37. “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” –Nelson Mandela
38. “Your body is the piece of the universe you’ve been given, the place where love and joy and grief happen, where happiness unfolds. Do you really want to keep believing that it’s a horrible, ugly, lumpy thing? Do you really want to keep punching yourself like that?” ― Geneen Roth
39. “If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?” — Tina Fey
Talking to a Therapist About Body Image
If you’re dealing with low self-esteem due to a negative self-image, a therapist can help you change your perspective. Finding a therapist can feel daunting, but one simple way to get started is by using an online therapist directory, where you can sort by specialty (like body image) and location.
