Read it if you lovelies would like, It is for a class final essay.
I believe in confidence. I believe in being you. I believe in beauty.
Society revolves around a never-ending cycle of self-confidence, beauty, and the ideal image. We are encouraged daily to “be yourself” and told that inner beauty is more important; however, if someone is not the mass-produced1 body type or personality they are branded as hideous or abnormal. I believe that this illusion can be wiped from our eyes by truly understanding what beauty is, and how each person, no matter how different, has already achieved exquisiteness.
Beauty, stripped to its most basic definition is, “qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and please the mind. 2” The definition does not include an acne free face, perfect hair or makeup, tiny bone structure, or anything concerning weight. Regardless, society accepts this as truth.
I don’t understand why we get caught up in these fake definitions because truthfully, nothing is perfect, and everything is beautiful. Beauty, like a liquid, changes its form to fill its container – in this case, people. There is something about each person in every moment, be it the light in their eyes when discussing something they love, the creases in someone’s skin, a crooked tooth, or freckles creating a bridge over their face. Beauty is not a checklist. It is being alive. It is being truthful. It is being you.
Be yourself. Perhaps one of the most said phrases, but very rarely does it come with directions. I believe the most crucial steps to finding one’s identity include, finding how to express individuality, and to stop comparing yourself to others. By doing these two things, I found myself grinning in the mirror, not trying to avoid them. I found myself saying and thinking new things, instead of repeating old, outdated practices. I found myself. It was definitely not an easy task; to this day I still struggle with my self-image, along with many others.
As mentioned earlier, I previously avoided mirrors. During Middle school, I constantly compared myself to others around me, only to discover I placed myself on the island of misfit toys, not made for play, not made for contact. This self-loathing led to a mild case of depression, and I began to cut myself. This continued until my sophomore year in High school, when I went to Black Lake Bible Camp in Black Lake, Washington and told my counselor and cabin-mates. This led to a conference between my youth group leader and I, where she told me, “you are loved. You are beautiful. You are wanted.” Each day for the remainder of camp, she would tell me this, and a few friends took up her saying, repeating it in the morning, before bed, and randomly throughout the day. This constant reassurance along with determination, and soul searching led me to be the person I am today.
I am confident. I believe I am beautiful. I believe in myself (most of the time). I believe that my friends are beautiful. I believe peers are beautiful. I believe beauty is within each and every person, whether they are aware of its existence or not.
1Akara. Factory Error. 2013. Deviantart.com. 13 June 2013. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/100/f/2/hey_its_my_class_picture___by_wolvewolf-d614hdn.jpg>
2 "Beauty." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Beauty?s=t>
