Helloooo! I swear, my newsfeed on THE BOOK has been filled with bullshit on the casting for the Little Mermaid and it is the most annoying thing on planet Earth. So, when I busted out my new Little Mermaid themed bikini for the first time this summer, I knew that I had to create a joke post about me being cast as Ariel. I mean, come on, I have the red hair which should compensate for my singing voice that sounds like a dying cat! 🤣

And Ariel did have a buttload of tattoos and piercings right… or am I thinking of a different movie?

^^^ The resemblance is uncanny! 😀

But, in all seriousness, this post isn’t about my cheeky sense of humor or a casting decision that I am 150% for. This is about bikini body positivity because, let me tell you, I have not felt confident in a bikini in a very long time. I took a client to one of our local Metro Park lakes this past Monday and saying that I was nervous to be in public in my Little Mermaid number is the understatement of the century.

I have a very love/hate relationship with my body, especially considering that I struggled with an eating disorder for a long time. And, I still have a hard time grasping that my body at twenty-five is going to be different than what my body was at sixteen. Do I love that I have bigger breasts than what I would like? No. How about the fact that I can’t seem to get rid of my little tummy no matter how healthy I eat or how often I figure skate? Absolutely not.

But, then, I remember that I love my legs and badonk that are super toned and muscular from over a decade of dedication to a sport. I love my piercings and tattoos that make me happy whenever I look at them. And, it could always be worse lol!

Even with those friendly reminders, though, I was still anxious for the grand reveal of my towel coming off. But, my client wanted to swim and that’s what was going to happen that day. So, I took a deep breath, dropped the towel, and began to walk towards the water. That’s when something amazing happened…

The first person who saw me told me that I looked awesome and little did she know, that changed my attitude for the entire lake outing. What felt like a literal blanket of insecurities for my first time in a bikini in years was lifted instantly by a stranger’s kind words and I felt good… better yet, I felt confident.

And, because I felt so happy and okay with myself in my own skin, I wanted to share the gift that the guardian angel stranger shared with me. If I saw a bikini that I thought was darling or if one of my fellow ladies was working it, trust and believe I let them know. And, watching their faces light up instantly was the best thing.

No matter what their body type is, I don’t know many girls who are thrilled about being in bathing suits. That’s why it was important to me to offer the same kindness to others that my stranger did for me. Part of being a Disney princess is having confidence and, in my Ariel inspired suit, I finally felt that way. The least I could do was help other people feel that, too.

What makes you feel confident? How do you help others to feel that way? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah