Spring 2018 is Cancelled

Unfortunately, I must be the first to say this, “Spring 2018 is officially cancelled.”  

As we come to the end of an eight month winter, I am bypassing Spring and going straight to Summer. I have packed all of my Winter clothes away and fully embraced my early Summer. I have accepted that I may deal with some cold nights and potentially catch a cold, but, you know, you only live once.  

As my intake of cocktails and Drake (by the way, Nice for What is my Summer jam) start to increase, so does the pressures of showcasing the perfect beach bawdy. I know they say Summer bodies are made in the Winter– but so are Winter bodies, especially in the Midwest. 

As the weather gets warmer and the hashtag Summer 2018 is about to start flooding our social media pages, so are the insecurities of not having the perfect beach body. As someone that has dealt with my fair share of body weight fluctuations but still remaining obnoxiously curvy, I have learned to love my body.  I can hear all the body positivity songs play in my head as I write that line.

Do not get me wrong, I have dealt with major insecurities in the past. When I was younger I despised my legs with a passion. No matter how much weight I lost, my legs would only get more toned and muscular. I did not learn to love my legs until my aunt informed me that my mother, who passed away when I was young, had the same muscular legs. I quickly started seeing those legs that I once hated as being my connection to my mother.  

I believe there are a few key things you should do if you ever find yourself falling into the societal trap of thinking you are not good enough:  

• Surround yourself with people that will uplift you (that is a lifelong rule)

Throughout the years that I faced insecurities I always tried to surround myself with people that would uplift me. I have an unbelievable amount of friends that inspire me every day just by unapologetically being themselves.

• Find pieces of clothing that make you feel amazing

I have so many pieces of clothing that are my go-to whenever I am not feeling 100% Shaytastic, surprisingly most of them are brightly colored.

• Create your Badass Soundtrack

I have a playlist that I listen to whenever I want to feel like a badass. It is typically my workout playlist but it always makes me feel invincible.

As the rooftops begin to open and the beaches start to get more crowded, our plan should remain the same: Be a badass all summer long and cherish the memories we gain.    

We can do this together.  Follow along and participate be using #ShayTakesTheCity when posting any badassery pics on any social media platform.

xoxo

– Shay