Be You Be Free by Shreen El Masry: A Reflection

I started reading Be You Be Free.

Learning of Shreen's story and how influences like the media; and its narrow representation of beauty served to us those years ago, how the obsession of our culture with thinness as a measure of success leaves 99% of women like Shreen feeling like they don't fit in with these ideals.

Sadly Shreen's story is not a one-off; it's frickin everywhere! So many friends I chat to, a daughter, a son, a young person battling with their body image and acceptance of themselves every day— heartbreaking.

Body image is the mental picture of what we think we look like. It is an essential aspect of our quality of life.

Many factors impact our body image. The media and social media play a significant role in this. They portray unrealistic body images to people, which can hurt our confidence and self-esteem.

But, the good news is that there are ways to improve our body image. I started thankubody because I wanted to have a place where you could go to find safe literature, sharing a far broader picture of ways to enjoy life in our different bodies through fun, play and creativity. As I read incredible books like Be You Be Free, and talk with friends, I'm so glad I took the leap. 

The last quote I read before hitting the hay last night was

"I want you to know that you deserve to live your life right now—to take up space, eat the cake, wear the dress, rock the bikini. To be who you want to be have fun and be happy, regardless of your body size" — Shreen El Masry

I can't wait to read on. If you'd like to get your hands on Shreen's book, pop over here in the shop. If you've read the book, what did you think?