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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 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.
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.
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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