Problem: “You’re too big. You’re too small. Cover up. Show more. Be desirable but not too available. Be confident but not intimidating.” The Madonna/Whore dichotomy didn’t stay in the classroom—it followed me into my body. For years, I was either: ❌ The “good girl” they protected or ❌ The “too much” woman they objectified Never just me. Add bullying. Add body shaming. Add growing up hearing “This is what women today look like”—as if my body was a trend to critique instead of a vessel to live in. The message was clear: Your value lives in their opinion of your appearance. And I believed it. Solution: Until I started asking better questions: 1. “Whose standard am I holding myself to?” (Spoiler: It was never mine.) 2. “Am I performing femininity or actually living in it?” 3. “If I wasn’t being watched, how would I want to feel in my skin?” 4. “Can I be both soft and sensual without being split in two?” The Madonna/Whore complex told me I had to choose. Healing told me I could h...