Finding Your Inner Beauty

Finding Your Inner Beauty

                          You stumble out of bed, regaining your vision, the outlines of your face become more depicted, the etches of imperfection showing more vibrantly.

*sigh* you wash your hair, get dressed and begin to unzip your makeup bag. You reach for your creamy 
beige or  ivory foundation bottle and begin to swathe it over the discoloration amid the canvas of your weary face. Your complexion begins to show much more evenly now! Next, you endeavor to pull the eye-shadow palette, mascara wand and black kohl eyeliner from your bag. You then begin to exaggerate the depth and darkness of your lash-line after complimenting and bringing out the color of your eyes with a sweep of violet or eggplant.

Minutes into the process, you already begin to feel a thousand times better about yourself! Next you decide to stroke a blush brush dipped in coral powders to accentuate and adorn your undefined cheekbones. Last, you must add perhaps a kiss of raspberry or cocoa to your lips. Hmm... too thin, your lips... much too thin! Exfoliate and then line them... that'll fix it. Ah! Perfect... and after blow-drying and styling your hair, you start to feel ready to face the world! You grab your keys, wallet and a purse dangling from your doorknob, one that compliments the color of your outfit for the day.

Pour yourself some coffee, perhaps a few cups more to wake you up. After a long day, doing whatever you're purpose may consist of in life, you eventually have to look at the mirror again, come face to face with yourself. You become appalled and wonder, "Could I have looked like that all day?". The makeup has begun to fade, the lines of your exhaustion showing themselves more vibrantly, your eyeliner and mascara smeared, you look like a raccoon or as if someone has smeared charcoal all around your bloodshot eyes. 

 You were invited to go out for the evening... you simply cannot go, though... you're far too tired! Or is that the reason? Could the real reason be your fear of facing others, your terror of others beholding you in the state of ruins you yourself perceive yourself to in the midst of?

You'd better stay home! You're afraid, afraid that others will judge you based off of your appearance. You'll have to wait, wait until you've reached that state of perfection, the state which shall allow you to roam the streets freely, without even a taste of insecurity woven into your mind. What will it take for you to achieve that state? None of your clothes fit right. Could that be the only reason? The answer to obtaining that state of physical perfection, maybe after a few weeks on a rigorous diet, just maybe you'll be ready to face your friends for a night out. 

                  What happen when you do reach that perfect weight? Will you be satisfied? Will you still be in search for something else to beat yourself up about? The answer to that is usually and most unfortunately... a yes. 

Your teeth, they're still crooked. Your hair, it's still a disaster... what color, what style or cut will make it as phenomenal as you'd like? Your complexion... even with all the makeup, all the powders... it's still not right, the imperfections still insist upon showing through. "Is there such a thing as perfect, anyway?" You begin to wonder after several failed attempts at reaching this fictional state of perfection. Could all this work have been in vain? Will you ever obtain a point in your life where you'll be able to look at that person in the mirror and say "perfect!"? 
                        
                   It's tragic, really it is! The fact that society has placed such an importance on physical perfection. Airbrushed and photo-shopped pictures of models veiling billboards, airing on commercials... everyone now feels that they have to emulate an image of perfection in order to feel accepted by society! Kids get bullied for things as shallow as the way they look, how "ugly" they are. 

Stop and think about it though... what substance has physical beauty? Why is it so important to everyone to channel an outward beauty? You're born the way you were intended to look. Why is it no longer cherished, the fact that you are the only you, that no one else looks quite like you, nobody else is your kind of beautiful? Everyone these days seem to have those aspirations of becoming like "barbies". Why does everyone want to look nearly identical these days? Now, everyone gets surgeries, plastic surgeries that end up destabilizing the muscles in their faces, all in the name of beauty. Everyone aims to look a certain way, to be a certain size, to have that perfect smile!

            I remember watching a "Twilight Zone" about a world of clones. About a society filled with people who, as they reached adulthood, would go under the knife filled with the sole intent of looking a certain way, identical to the next. They had two options, two choices of the ideal look they wished to obtain. How boring would that be... for everyone to look the same? Or what about the episode where a beautiful young blonde was subjected to countless surgeries in hopes to "fix" her face... to make her "beautiful" like the rest, all of the others dawning grotesque faces?



Never conform just so that you can be accepted in society, so that you can be the rest of the world's definition of "beauty", so that you can "fit in". Besides, who is qualified/ perfect enough to define what beauty and perfection truly is? 

If anybody, God is the only One certified to do so, and He's the One Who made you... so learn to cherish the person you were made to be, to look like! Be proud of that face looking back at you in the mirror! God made you just the way He wanted to! Don't aim to make yourself identical to the rest... don't make a clone of yourself! So, with that said, I shall wrap things up by letting you know that you are beautiful just the way you are... so-called "imperfections" and all! Never give up your individuality to be "beautiful"!!

Never let people judge you based off of your physical appearance either! Don't let your insecurities create a barrier between you and enjoying life. Nobody ever said that you had to look perfect to enjoy life! So, smile big and hold your head high, be proud of the person God made you, learn to accept yourself and regard yourself as beautiful just the way you are! No more rigorous diets, no more hiding yourself from others all because you're "not pretty enough".

 Those things that you label "imperfections" or "flaws" are some of the sole sources of your uniqueness, your customized touches of beauty! Besides, the people who really do matter, the ones who love you for your inner beauty... those are your truest friends! Outward beauty fades with time, disappears with the wrinkles of age. Inward beauty, however, it's timeless, it never fades! Learn to only associate yourself with those who admire you for the person you are inside, and not merely just for your outer shell... a coating that is doomed to wither with time, a shallow part of you that has the capability to diminish in a slit second! Inner beauty knows no age.

You must always remember as well to cherish the beauty of life, to learn how to love and accept yourself just the way you are! You must never forget to smile and be happy either! Stay clear of any insecurities produced from vanity, they're instant destroyers of joy and aren't worth ridding you of your happy! Always shroud yourself in bliss and don't hide from life, stop allowing yourself to be crippled by all of your insecurities! Have a wonderful day, Darlings! Don't forget to smile! <3

~Erin <3 xoxoxo