I’ve been friends with her⁣
For ten years on Facebook⁣

And every two years I see⁣
Her showing off⁣
Her latest project⁣

Her body⁣

She’s on a new diet⁣
There are new before and after pics⁣

There’s the formula⁣
To her newest weight loss⁣
In hashtags⁣
#fat #nocarbs #willpower

And I love her⁣
I love her for showing up⁣
As she is⁣
In her process⁣

She gets the thumbs-up⁣
The “way to go’s”⁣
The “keep it up’s”⁣

But I’ve seen how this body-project goes⁣
I’ve seen it in her⁣
I’ve seen it in hundreds of women⁣

“Keeping it up”⁣
turns into⁣
“I can’t keep it up”⁣
turns into⁣
“I’m being bad”⁣
turns into⁣
“I’ve failed again”⁣
turns into⁣
Shame⁣
Turns into⁣
“What’s wrong with me?”⁣

And my heart breaks for her⁣
As she looks for approval⁣
Striving for that aspirational body⁣
Desperate to just feel good in her own skin⁣

She’s been working⁣
On her body⁣
Like it’s a fix-it project⁣
her whole life⁣

She’s been⁣
Struggling⁣
Restricting⁣
Willpower-ing⁣
Bio-hacking⁣
her way to⁣
the body she wants⁣
or the body she was told to want⁣

And my inquiry⁣
My invitation⁣
My plea⁣
is this⁣

Let go of the project⁣

Release the fixing⁣
The curing⁣
The not-good-enoughing⁣
The shaming⁣
And self-blaming.⁣

Let go of the body-project⁣
The body-management⁣
The body-controlling⁣

And step into your NOW BODY⁣

Body-wisdom⁣
Body-listening⁣
Body-compassion⁣

YOUR PRESENT BODY⁣

Current Body⁣
Feeling Body⁣
As-is body⁣

I know it’s hard⁣
There are so many reasons⁣
it’s hard to be in your body⁣

But it’s there⁣
Here⁣
In our bodies⁣

We can find⁣
Body-peace⁣
Body-respect⁣
Body-trust⁣
Body-liberation⁣

And it’s here⁣
That we can shift⁣

From having our body be a project⁣
To our body being our home⁣

⁣⁣⁣
~ Nina Manolson⁣⁣⁣
NinaManolson.com