Mirror, Mirror
What do you see when you look at the mirror? Fat arms, wide hips, stubby legs? Protruding teeth, uneven jaw, slanted eyes? Do you like many other women, including yours truly fail to see yourself in a better light in the mirror? Do you keep wondering if only my lips were fuller, eyes were bigger, cheek bones higher...etc. etc? But when it comes to describing other women you think of them as prettier, more beautiful, one with nice features? Why do we traumatize ourselves like this? Just the other day I met a friend who said she thinks she has fat Punjabi arms. I think of myself as fat whereas my mom likes to describe me as curvy and when I talk about my cousin I tell her that she is lean while she thinks she has wide hips. Do you notice the pattern here? Why are women so critical of their selves? And why instead of embracing our natural beauty do we try and correct what is not perfect?
A recent ad by a beauty brand has in a very touching way shown how we women criticize ourselves a lot more than we do others. Don't you think it plays a very important role in how we behave towards others professionally and personally? Isn't it time out break out of these set conventions about beauty and accept each of us as we are and be happy with it? Isn't it time to love our curly hair than ruthlessly running an iron through it every morning or complaining about a large nose and focus on any other feature you like for example your eyes or lips? Why should a few inches here or there on your waistline matter as long as you're overall lifestyle is healthy and aren't risking yourself with heart disease or diabetes?! It would indeed be wiser to focus instead on the bigger picture and leading a content, well-rounded, complete life than to make up for these vanities with going overboard with buying many cosmetics and fancy clothes, shoes, accessories, bags and whatnot. To notice the niceness in others and return it as and when you can instead of being outright competitive and bringing the other person down to feed your ego. Easier said than done? Try it for a week at least and see if it all comes back to you in a circle. If not, one could always go back to being the way we were.
Try this with your best friend- ask her to describe your features and then you describe hers. You'll be surprised. Try describing each others personalities too- the positives and negatives- she might know more about you than you know about yourself.
Do tell me what your thoughts are.
A recent ad by a beauty brand has in a very touching way shown how we women criticize ourselves a lot more than we do others. Don't you think it plays a very important role in how we behave towards others professionally and personally? Isn't it time out break out of these set conventions about beauty and accept each of us as we are and be happy with it? Isn't it time to love our curly hair than ruthlessly running an iron through it every morning or complaining about a large nose and focus on any other feature you like for example your eyes or lips? Why should a few inches here or there on your waistline matter as long as you're overall lifestyle is healthy and aren't risking yourself with heart disease or diabetes?! It would indeed be wiser to focus instead on the bigger picture and leading a content, well-rounded, complete life than to make up for these vanities with going overboard with buying many cosmetics and fancy clothes, shoes, accessories, bags and whatnot. To notice the niceness in others and return it as and when you can instead of being outright competitive and bringing the other person down to feed your ego. Easier said than done? Try it for a week at least and see if it all comes back to you in a circle. If not, one could always go back to being the way we were.
Try this with your best friend- ask her to describe your features and then you describe hers. You'll be surprised. Try describing each others personalities too- the positives and negatives- she might know more about you than you know about yourself.
Do tell me what your thoughts are.
Comments
Post a Comment