Shadow Work & Body Image: Part 2

The Weight of the World

“Not all thoughts are ours. Some were handed to us.”

It’s strange how easily we can forget that the way we see ourselves isn’t entirely our own. Somewhere along the way, we started collecting silent messages—billboards, TV shows, magazine covers, filtered selfies, whispered comparisons—and over time, they became our internal voice.

We began to believe that being lovable meant being thin. That confidence had a dress size. That beauty had only one face.

But those beliefs didn’t start in our hearts. They came from somewhere else.

Shadow work asks us to name where those thoughts came from, not to place blame, but to take back our power. When we see the source of a belief clearly, we can start to decide for ourselves whether it still deserves a place in our story.

Let’s explore the weight the world has placed on your shoulders—and which pieces you’re ready to set down.

🌑 Journal Prompts

1. How has society or media shaped how you view your body?

   Think of specific messages you’ve absorbed from TV, Instagram, fashion trends, celebrity culture, or even childhood toys. What did they teach you to value or reject?

2. What emotions come up when you compare yourself to what you see online or in magazines?

   Is it envy? Shame? Frustration? Numbness? Where do you feel those emotions in your body?

3. Can you think of a moment where you felt “not enough” because of a societal standard?

   Describe that moment. What were you doing? How did it impact your behavior or self-worth?

4. What beliefs about beauty or worth are not actually yours?

   Write down a few that you feel were handed to you by culture, not chosen by your soul. Then, if you’re ready, rewrite them in your own words.

This work is about reclaiming your voice—your true voice—beneath the noise. You are more than a trend or an algorithm’s ideal. You are real. Whole. Worthy of love and joy now.

Maybe today, you unfollow an account that makes you question your worth. Or maybe you start creating a new vision board filled with people, images, and affirmations that reflect where you want to go—not what you’ve been taught to become.

This is the part where you start choosing for you.

🌿Blessed Be,

Bobbi Ann

No longer carrying what was never mine to hold.