I can’t believe I used the word ‘feminazi’ in a previous post… I’m contributing to my own oppression.

This is something that happens to so many women I know it’s not a fat-exclusive issue. It’s an unfortunate reality that every single woman I know has had to deal with these issues in some form or fashion, and it’s downright disgusting that so many of them don’t even think of it as a big deal. That it’s so normalized most of the women who’ve been the victims of this sort of behavior don’t even realize that they’re just that– victims. As a fat person I can only speak from it from my perspective and from my experiences, but please be aware that this is an experience for so many women no matter what their size, shape, color, lifestyle, age or location. Possibly even you.

So please note that this post has heavy trigger warnings for sexual assault, rape, harassment and various other forms of unwanted sexual contact that ensures we ladies know who our bodies belong to.

Read the rest of the article here.

One for every year of my life so far. I’ve been a little up-and-down lately and I did this just to cheer myself up. I thought I’d share it with yous. :) Many of these are bits of advice we give each other all the time, but we don’t always stick to them (at our own cost). This post should ideally have coincided with my 21st birthday.

1) Respect your parents.

2) Surround yourself with good people that care about you and share your values.

3) Be kind to at least everyone that’s kind to you.

4) Respect all living beings.

5) Believe in yourself, especially when other people don’t believe in you.

6) Be genuine and transparent with people - you’ll make the most rewarding friendships this way.

7) Don’t judge people you don’t even know.

8) Never spread malicious rumours about others. It’s painful being the subject.

9) Never lose sight of what’s important in life.

10) Have goals, passions, ambitions and aspirations.

11) The mind is a very powerful tool. Keep it stimulated.

12) Having high self-esteem is less important than humility.

13) Negative words can be just as powerful as negative actions, but positive actions are much more powerful than positive words.

14) Genuinely nice people are a minority, but you can find them in obvious places.

15) If you want to preserve your sanity, you can’t neglect your health. (Eat well, sleep well, exercise regularly and get some sun!)

16) Self-awareness will enrich your life.

17) Think critically about the world around you.

18) Sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to for good reasons. In times like these, it’s best to just accept it and move on.

19) Self-improvement is really important, but it’s not about getting better grades, making yourself prettier, increasing your popularity, etc. It’s about gaining more of what makes you a strong, socially connected person, such as wisdom, empathy, and peace with oneself.

20) Help those in need. Doing your bit for the community in some way will change your life for the better.

21) Independence, self-gratification, self-actualisation, etc are overrated. Happiness is best shared.

(Source: africanstories)