Can you count the number of times that someone has told you that you are beautiful? Quite a few, right? Now how many times have you told yourself that? Hmm, not that many, I’m guessing.
For most of us women, it really takes an effort to actually admit that we are beautiful. How can we, when we have those thunder thighs, or that huge butt right? It is so much easier to find stuff to hate about ourselves.
Image Courtesy: cct300-f08.wikispaces
My sister and I look very different – I’m short and she’s tall; she’s skinny and while I’m within a healthy weight for my height, I’m tipping towards the upper limit :-). Sometimes we joke that it would be great if we had some kind of a machine where I could transfer some weight to her!! But when you think about it, if we really had a machine like that, we would all look like clones of each other (our celebrities are already beginning to look like that). Scary thought, right?
In India, the obsession with being skinny is not as much as it is in the west, but it does exist and affects a lot of young girls with impressionable minds. The media, of course is everyone’s favorite punching bag when it comes to this issue, and it is true that it plays an important role. Movies, ads, magazines - everything sends out the message that you need to be tall, thin, have lustrous straight hair, blemish free skin, a sexy pout and curves in the right places. What are these ‘right’ places? Who said they were right in the first place?
This is where blogging plays a huge positive role. We have bloggers of all shapes and sizes and colors who belong to various nationalities/ethnicities/religions and they are all, beyond doubt, beautiful. The one common characteristic all of them share is self love and a wonderful confidence that actually comes through in their pictures. I admit, I’m still a work in progress and have yet to accept parts of my ‘mommy’ body, but these wonderful people really inspire me.
Speaking of self love, I love the song ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera and believe every girl should listen to it (Of course, there are hardly any who haven’t :-)). Here’s the youtube link:
Have you ever battled body image issues in your life? How did you deal with it?
9 comments
Preach it sister!
ReplyDelete♡ from © tanvii.com
Before a baby it was different.. everything was perfect.. The hair, the skin, most of all, the body was all great.. but after pregnancy I started hating my body.. mine was a c-section and now it is bulging in every possible way.. I was helpless.. I often used to ask my hubby if he still likes me and admires me the same way.. he would say that I am perfect and he wouldnt have liked it if I were any thin.. thinking about it, I thought, I had grown and loved my mother.. no matter how she was.. even my dad loves her very much till date.. not for her size, but for what she is.. might be my family is also looking at the care and love I share more than all these outward show.. its a great feeling to know I am being wanted for who am i than for what i look like.. after a few years these are the people who are going to matter the most and the rest come by and go
ReplyDeleteI have this really weird habit of asking my fiance if am good looking . Him saying exactly what I want to hear makes me happy in a way. Slowly coming to terms with the fact that I am not exactly a model material or can achieve a size 0 with the lifestyle that I have :). Happy being me and respect my body as it is :)
ReplyDelete@Hema
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel Hema, I had a normal delivery but still I know my body is never going to be the same. I also went through the 'do I still look good?' phase, until I realised that my family aren't people who are with me because of how I look, so as long as I'm healthy, it shouldn't really matter. Still learning to accept the wobbly bits, but I'm on my way :-)
@opal
ReplyDeleteRight on, 'respect' is the keyword here. Like Baz Luhrmann said, 'your body is the best instrument you'll ever own', so treat it well and respect it, it sure does a lot for you!!! :-)
I do..I am fat..and really when all the brands mass produce the size XS it really leaves me helpless and hurt and go back to those kurtis..:(
ReplyDelete@Apoorva Nanjangud
ReplyDeleteI know, that is kind of depressing...its worse when store attendants take it upon themselves to advise you, "That won't fit you ma'am". It does take a lot of effort to love yourself the way you are, but its definitely worth it.
haha!! Guess wat!! I have a sis who is exactly like u mentioned...taller than me & the skinny type & me being the chubby type....& we do think about the weight transfer thing quite often!! :P
ReplyDeleteBut yeah I am happy being me !!
@Swarnali Same pinch again!! Actually my sis wishes she weren't so skinny, she feels she looks miserable in all her clothes ;-)
ReplyDelete