Well, hello again. I have been suffering greatly from bloggers-block (is that a thing?) here recently, but I’m back and ready to get back on my schedule of posting inconsistently at least once every two weeks. OK- I’ve never had a schedule, but hey, I’m a busy gal…kinda.
Today I kind of just wanted to have a little chat before getting back into the groove of fashion and beauty and all of that.
So this is what has been on my mind recently: what defines confidence?
My answer: loving yourself completely despite your flaws.
Throughout my short 16 years of life, I’ve noticed a few things.
1. Troy Bolton from High School Musical is not a real person or an obtainable goal. *sighs*
2. It is impossible to feel completely confident in yourself if you are constantly tearing yourself to pieces for not looking a certain way. I’m not going to list off all of the cliches that come to mind when I think about advice for this matter. I just want to share what helps me come to peace with my image. Think on this: how many times have you actually looked at a girl on the beach in a bikini and have been like, “OMG she has way to many fat rolls to be wearing that!!!”? For me, it was close to never. So why was I doing it to myself?
3. We are so obsessed with wanting to please the rest of the world that we forget to make ourselves happy. It is in my highly-unqualified opinion that happiness is the key to radiating confidence. So, if that means you’re happiest when working out in the gym for two hours, do it. And if being happy means you’d rather spend all day binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy, DO IT. Being happy with your choices is the first step towards being happy with yourself.
4. Confidence, like most aspects of life, is a choice that only you can decide. There is no gene for feeling comfortable with being you.
5. Smiling really will make it better. I’m not going to go all science-nerd on you about the chemical reactions and such. Just trust me on this, if you are feeling down, start smiling at literally every stranger that walks by. If you are alone at home, stand in front of the mirror and smile at your reflection if you have to. It’ll get better.
So there’s my little spiel on confidence. I am certainly guilty of feeling insecure and shy about my appearance, but I noticed many people in my life tearing themselves down here recently and felt I needed to write about it. So to those who are struggling to see the beauty, I will leave you with this quote by Amy Bloom:
You are imperfect,
permanently and inevitably flawed.
And you are beautiful.
XoXo, Zo