"To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness" - Unknown

I used to be that girl who was afraid to exit my house because I felt I wasn’t as beautiful as the other girls in my community, my class or even in my youth group at church. My self-esteem was so low that I shied away from opportunities I was more than capable of doing. I was crippled by feelings of insecurity and inferiority. My ideology of beauty was clear skin, straightened hair, and an hourglass figure.

College opened my eyes and widened my scope of thought. I remember an assignment my counsellor gave me once. He asked me to write an essay on how I felt about myself. In that essay, I expressed my hatred for my appearance, using words such as “ugly “and “unattractive”. I criticized my skin for the shade it was, the texture of my hair, and the fat deposits at all the seemingly wrong places. I wrote about the harsh words inflicted upon me by others. The only positive statement on that essay was “I love people and I love to see people happy”

After reading the essay my counsellor highlighted much to my surprise the positive descriptions of my character. I expected to be reprimanded for being too negative but all he said was “now that is true beauty”. He continued to say that beauty is not all outward appearance but largely what lies within. Beauty is a sum of what we say, do and all our experiences combined. A person who is beautiful on the inside is automatically beautiful on the outside. I was inspired by what he said and for the first time in my life I felt beautiful.

The scriptures say we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. God is beautiful and if we are created in HIS image then that makes us beautiful. Having a beautiful heart is all the beauty you need to illuminate this world. The next time you look in the mirror tell yourself “I am beautiful. I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God”.

What is Beauty?

Beauty comes from WITHIN. You are a masterpiece - a work of art. There is only one you, made up of genes designed for you.

It’s time to start appreciating yourself as you would any other piece of art.

If you look at a flower or sunset, you don't tend to judge it; you simply accept and appreciate it for what it is.

So maybe it's time to create a fourth mirror, a new mirror that is wiped clean, minus the fog of comparisons, accusations, judgement, and expectations.