Orange is the new black!!!
“40’s is the next 30’s”!!!!
“Strong is the new Pretty”!!
What do you think? How do you define pretty?
Well, most of us “The Millennials” have been raised with having a Barbie image and figure as criteria of beauty. In simple if you are not having a flexible body with those extreme curves you are nowhere near the benchmarks of beauty set by the society. 0 size models, the bombardment of advertisements for the ideal beach body, crash diets or extreme diets to get to your ideal weight are across the billboards and media.
Thanks to the technology, the clean images on Insta news feed and those pretty filters is making life easier for few of us, while the rest of us are busy unconsciously comparing to what we have and we don’t. In terms of the tech age, this is the best time to be alive, our generation has seen the transition from tech less world to gadgets in every household. Technology has solved our old problems and given us new psychological problems of self-doubt, body shaming, and insecurity. It has given access to all to comment on how you look as per their standard of beauty. Food for thought is aren’t we all sophisticated apes indulged into designer wear and high-end brands, holding a mug of roasted coffee making the comparison with others in terms of looks and status. The question is not about the comparison but the “STANDARDS” or “Values” we have chosen to measure our self on.
Do you know that few people can be seriously hit by a single comment made in public or on Social media? They can take hours to recover and might need a strong push to be back to loving themselves again. This can build up a lot inside them as there is nothing worse than physical appearance self-doubt. Because it’s the outside that matters to most. The irony is a simple positive comment can work to lift their spirit too. But we are best at criticizing the appearances rather than lifting the spirit. I have encountered people going into major depression because of negative comments on appearance and dressing.
Constant comparisons with models and celebs around are nothing but a tyranny. We need to understand that taking care of your appearance is a “Full-Time Job “and those celebs spending 6 hours in the gym and going on a 15 days diet with 4 dieticians around, making a pitch-perfect appearance in public must have gone through at least 4 to 5 hours with a personal stylist. This is their JOB. If you only had this job wouldn’t you be able to nail your pitch perfect appearance?
But for all the normal women out there, you got so much on your plate. Your job in case you work, your home in case you are a homemaker, your kids if you are a mom, your family as in your parents and the social appearance you got to make to survive the clan you live in and to be there for “your people”. And all of this in case you have chosen to have everything from each side. That really doesn’t mean you go out like in a rotten state and feel self-pity. You got to dress up, you got to take care of you, you got to be physically active for good health, you should have some me time to have that mental balance so that you can be a source of energy for all around you.
Time for a little confession here, I have grown up with fat legs as compared to rest of my body and I ended up hating them because as per the standards of beauty I didn’t have skinny and long legs, no matter how much I exercise, swim or run. All the exercises made them stronger but not lean. Jeans have never been my friend, I avoided trying them in public try rooms and then wearing it because I didn’t want to be trying multiple sizes to find the right one. Since last 11 years workout in any form has been part of my daily routine no matter where I am. I manage to get at least 40 mins for myself. I have been body shamed by a lot, knowing my body time I know if m eating for a month and not doing any physical workout it would soon show.
It has taken me years to understand that having legs is more important than having lean legs (and still I can be critical of it at times). The standards of beauty are nothing but a myth. What really matters is owning your body rather than feeling sorry about it. Carrying every outfit well is the key to good looks rather than avoiding it.
But You know what’s pretty? To me “Being Emotionally Strong Is the New Pretty”.
You have to be emotionally strong to
- Not letting big stuff happening around you eat you!
- Combat the negative comments in a sane way!
- Overcoming sadness after going through major loss!
- Staying safe mentally in the world of cynical creatures!
- Wearing the confidence that is much worthier than the brands around!
- Be able to be the source of strength to all who lean on you!
What do you think? How do you define PRETTY?
