Self-Love

In life, no matter what happens, it’s always important to remember how valuable you are. The season of love is never-ending because it starts with you. The idea of talking about self-love may seem a little cliche, but there’s no point in telling people what I think about the latest fashion trends or beauty tips, if what’s on the inside doesn’t match.

There are so many things around us that have the potential to keep us from realizing how special we are. As women especially, we go through life having so many ways to filter our appearance to hide our emotions. All of the contouring, weaving, shopping… and if you’re like me, we dress up the most on our “off” days. People never really want the outside world to know what’s going on or how we truly feel about ourselves. On top of that, there are the insecurities that come from the world’s idea of what we should look like. Throughout time, women have had these figures that serve as constant reminders of what to “look up to.” These figures still exist today, but the pressure has intensified. What makes todays pressure so much heavier than the pressure felt by generations before? Social Media. Now-a-days, you don’t have to go to your local newsstand to see the model on the cover of that fashion or lifestyle magazine. The pressure to look like someone other than yourself is right at your fingertips; Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Periscope… social media has given us instant access to any and everybody. We’ve also moved on from just admiring our favorite models, actors, and singers to admiring the “Instagram famous”. Our insecurities are now stemming from the desire to look like “regular” people. When you look at a celebrity, you can say “Oh, they’re famous. She has a trainer. They have to look that way.” But when I’m looking at the regular girl from California that takes nice pictures and has 20k followers on Instagram and 10k followers on Twitter, what’s the excuse for me to not look like her? She’s normal; just like the rest of us.

In recent years, I’ve really learned and I’m still learning how to embrace who I am and who I was called to be. I’m over the idea of trying to look like someone else. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the inspiration we gather from people around us everyday. I’m talking about the moments of low self-esteem when you may wonder why you can’t look like the girl you just saw on your timeline. In order to truly love yourself, you have to focus on being your best you. We live in a world so concerned with looks and likes. It’s so easy to get caught up in all of that and forget who you are. Strive to be a better you, not a different person. You’re the queen/king you were created to be. The rarer an item is, the more value it holds. We each hold value that is immeasurable because we’re one of a kind. You and I were created custom. Don’t devalue yourself wishing you were made from the pattern of someone else.

Stay Beautiful.

XO,

Sydney