Seeing the world from a different perspective

I have been quite blocked lately. I haven't really been able to find my literary voice and was struggling to come up with something to post on this page. This might be a bit rusty, but I'm just trying to put it out there and hope for the best, enjoy!

We as humans take many things for granted. We are never satisfied with what we're given and are in constant envy for those around us. We pose questions like "why can't I look

like ___" and "why can't I do ___," but what we don't realize is that we are lucky enough to have a body. We're lucky enough to be alive.

Motivation may come from looking at those around us, however, it should never be in the form of wishing to be like someone or hoping to change in order to "fit" into the societal expectations. Don't get me wrong, change is not a bad or negative thing, but when you're in the process of changing yourself you must always value your happiness and success. Never let change plummet your sense of identity and your being. Only change if you truly think it will make you a happier and better person. Don't change in order to be more accepted or to be "like everybody else." As cheesy as this might sound, be your own kind of beautiful. We are all created differently for a reason.

On that note, I think that the number one thing most of us take for granted is our bodies. We are given this figure for free basically, yet many of us shame it and try to shield it from the world. Why? Why can't we look at our bodies in the mirror and praise them for functioning? We don't realize just how much something is truly valuable until it is gone. Imagine if you woke up one day with no feet to walk on or no legs to hold you upright, no arms or fingers to allow you to reach for things or grasp your phone in your hands. Our bodies allow us to do all of these seemingly mundane things, but what we don't realize is just how important it is for our daily survival. So, the next time you look in the mirror, think of all the things that your body allows you to do instead of picking at it and putting yourself down.

This is something I have yet to perfect, but I know I'm getting there. I wanted to put this out there, because I know that many people struggle with self-image, and maybe looking at it from a different angle might help.