It is very easy to compare ourselves to others in terms of our physical appearance. Social media definitely does not help, with all of the celebrity posts. There is only one you, and it’s important to love and embrace who you are, and take part in self-acceptance and self-love.
A lot of girls struggle with skincare issues such as acne and eczema, and I am certainly one of them. For as long as I can remember I have struggled with a skin condition called keratosis pilaris.
Keratosis pilaris is a common condition where keratin plugs up hair follicles and results in strawberry skin with pink and/or red bumps. Growing up, I absolutely hated that I had this condition because it is pretty visible. I wanted soft and smooth skin, and I didn’t want to deal with the consequences of my skin condition. I was always self-conscious about it and tried to cover it up by wearing long-sleeved shirts. I would be very hesitant to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts. My journey has been about trying to accept how I look, accept who I am, and accept how I feel overall, and it definitely hasn’t been an easy journey. I try to remember that each and every single person in this world is unique and different in their own way. If all of us looked the same then, the world would be pretty boring.
People can’t discover themselves anymore, and perhaps it’s because we live in a world that places so much emphasis and importance on physical attraction and beauty, or because social media has swallowed up our self-esteem in whom and what it glorifies. There is a certain picture of the “ideal body image” and if you don’t fit into that mold then you are left out. Yet, the only way we can truly be happy is when we start accepting who we are rather than defining or carving a different image for ourselves. True beauty lies in accepting ourselves for how lovely we are.
Aspire towards confidence. Aspire towards feeling pretty and carefree and happy, without needing to look any specific way. Don’t let yourself grow up to believe that you are flawed in any way whatsoever, or that there’s anything you are lacking compared to others, or compared to celebrities. Don’t let yourself hold on to a standard that’s too high, and that is unattainable and unfair.
A quote that has always stood out to me is from the TV show One Tree Hill. Character Brooke Davis says: “I’m worried that I’m not enough. Not pretty enough, not smart enough, not good enough.” This is a struggle that many young girls face. Who defines what is regarded as “enough”? No one should have that right over you, because you should be able to decide who you want to be and what makes you happy.
You are never meant to be perfect in this world. Instead, you are meant to be beautifully flawed. So stop trying to conform to the world’s ideals of what it means to be beautiful and perfect. Stop trying to fit in when you were born to stand out and be uniquely you.
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