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Appreciate your physical beauty
It’s great to take care of yourself when it comes to physical appearance. We
should always feel comfortable in our own skin and looking after your body
is a healthy habit. The fact that you have a body at all is incredible. You’re a
reflection of the wonder of nature.
Whether you believe in God or not, when the world was created it wasn’t
given rules or instructions to help humankind assess what physical beauty is.
No – these ideas were formed by us and are today often moderated and
manipulated by the mainstream media.
You can only recognize your own beauty if you practise self-love, but I’ll be
honest with you: it’s difficult. With media platforms playing on our
insecurities, it’s hard not to compare ourselves with others.
We’re bombarded by images showing people with conventionally attractive
bodies. We know that most of these images aren’t real, that they’ve been
edited or doctored in order to sell an idea, a product or a dream, but we easily
forget this and they quickly magnify confidence issues.
We define our physical flaws in relation to what we’re told is the ‘perfect
body’. We’re constantly told what beauty looks like and if we don’t question
this, these endless messages implant in our heads a subconscious definition of
what it means to be beautiful. Anything that doesn’t match the popular
definition of beauty appears to us as a flaw and makes us judgemental,
always assessing physical beauty against that benchmark. This not only
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affects how we perceive others, but also how we perceive ourselves.
Through my work I’ve been fortunate enough to engage with many young
people. Some have a large online following, while others are just typical
teenagers. I got to know one of the well-known figures really well, and was
sad to learn that she had acquired a lot of hatred as a result of a sharp increase
in popularity. When she posted natural shots of herself on social media, she
came under fire for being ugly. The pressure of being judged and ridiculed
led her to have cosmetic surgery to maintain her public image.
Don’t let socially constructed
ideas about beauty lower your
self-esteem. There are no rules to
beauty. Accept and love yourself as
you are. Embrace your flaws and get
comfortable in your own skin. Wear
your imperfections like they don’t
need a season to be fashionable.
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But the hate continued. First, she was judged for not appearing perfect by
society’s standards, and then she was judged for trying to fix it. The truth is
clear: you simply cannot satisfy everyone.
I also spoke to a young woman who admired this public figure, and she
admitted that she often felt insecure due to comparing her physical
appearance with her idol’s. She admitted that this even made her act in
unloving ways towards other people – she thought nothing of leaving
negative remarks about how other public figures looked, just because they
weren’t as beautiful as her idol. I pointed out that similar comments were the
reason her idol had resorted to surgery.
There’s a culture of negativity swirling around the Internet and even
rebounding on those we claim to like. Constant comparison of one human
against another drives you into a web of negative and loveless thoughts.
Never allow society’s ideals for physical beauty to devalue your existence.
Nearly all those ideals are driven from insecurity and a desire to feel more
confident – or to sell something. If you think about it, how many businesses
would go out of business if you truly accepted yourself?
The size of your jeans doesn’t define you.
The colour and shade of your skin doesn’t define you.
That number on the scales doesn’t define you.
Those marks on your face don’t define you.
Those expectations don’t define you.
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Those opinions don’t define you.
Your personal beauty isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. It doesn’t mean
you’re less beautiful than any other human being. Perfection is subjective and
based entirely on perception. Wear your ‘imperfections’ proudly, because
they make you unique. Never stop appreciating your own beauty.
If you feel you’d rather be someone other than yourself, you’re not alone. But
if you can recognize and embrace your own unique beauty, you can live with
authenticity and be proud of who you are. A person who accepts themself as
they are can inspire the world. And that can be you. You could show the
world how to reach joy through self-acceptance.
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