As a teenager, I would spend hours trying to find the perfect top that would cover my bum, because being a teenager in the 90’s meant I was surrounded by the media that depicted beauty as something, that for me was unattainable. The super skinny waif. To be anything close to womanly, meant you had to be creative with concealing. Recently my 14-year-old highlighted that I was so lucky because – I have a ‘big bum’, not sure if I was offended or complemented I started to wonder… who decides what beauty truly is?
As far as I can tell, beauty is largely tied in with fashion and trends, so without venturing down that rabbit hole, I’ve decided to look at Inner beauty.
Inner beauty can be recognized first in someone’s energy, that initial feeling we have about them that makes us feel good in their presence.
Inner beauty comes from being really comfortable in your own skin, without comparison to anyone or anything, (or image of beauty) and what follows is confidence that radiates, usually easily perceived in the eyes as a sparkle.
True beauty begins with a positive relationship with yourself. The way we treat, look after, love and cherish ourselves but also recognizing that every choice we make, made consciously to support the way we want to feel is important too.
The people we choose to be around, the food we eat, the environments we find ourselves in, all serve to nourish and support us. When we trust ourselves and are authentic with whom we truly are, we stop looking for external validity and the negative internal dialogue starts to subside. This is when our beauty has a chance to radiate.
3 ways to spark your inner beauty
Learn to love the bits about you that are uniquely you without apology.
Never compare or measure yourself against others. The original meaning of the word comparison is ‘Death of self’.
Catch the inner critic and override it with loving words even if you start by saying to yourself ‘there is no one that is me and that’s why I am great!’