Improve Your Self-Esteem

I have been asking myself this question for many years. Do you really need make up and nice clothes for people to truly see your beauty. There are so many people that are self conscious about the way they look. They think they are too fat, too skinny, dull hair, etc. Do we really think that of ourselves or are we just basing our opinions off of society's point of view?

Everyday we watch our TV or look at magazines and you see people being criticized for gaining weight or not weighing enough. You watch shows on TV about people who lose weight and how they do it. The front covers of magazines are always covered with the normal "I lost (#) lbs in so many days. Why is that? Because they know this will attract a majority of the female population. Society shows us that weight is obviously an important part of our lives but are they telling us this for good enough reasons. Do you read about how unhealthy it is to be overweight or do you read about those that lost weight can be seen in public in a two piece bathing suit? Most articles are the look at me now type. It doesn't go into the health factors.

The I can breathe better, I feel better, I can do more, etc articles are seen in medical magazines. Not popular magazines such as Women's World or People. They criticize those who have gained weight. And instead of asking why they gained weight, they just assume they have let themselves go. Have they ever considered there is a medical problem behind the weight gain or that they have just decided they are comfortable with being who they are rather than who society wants them to be?

For years I had a complex about myself. My weight, my hair, my body, everything about me was not what it should be. I was too fat, my hair was too frizzy, my body was too short and not formed the way I would have preferred. Then I discovered that it is society making us

believe that we have to be a certain way for the public to like us. All the popular kids were skinny and pretty and cheerleaders and into sports, etc. Then there were those of us who did extracurricular activities such as drama club and the school newspaper and we were considered geeks and nerds. Why is that? Because we chose not to exploit ourselves? I personally don't think that I need to show my skin or show off that I don't have any rolls to be popular. At the time all i wanted to do was be popular. Then I grew up.

Where are those people now? Did being a cheerleader and being skinny and pretty get them anywhere in life? Most, I would have to say the answer would be no. They still get the same jobs as the rest of us. They still went to the same colleges. They still met the same people. Now our children are growing up together and going to school together. I wonder, will they be friends or will they be enemies because they don't look the way society has portrayed that we should?

Do you need to wear make up to be pretty? Don't we have our own beauty? Of course as long as we are happy with who we are and what we do with ourselves. It isn't our beauty or our make up or our hair style that lands us the job or the boyfriend. It is our confidence in ourselves. It is the knowledge that no matter what we look like, it is the knowledge and charisma that we have inside that lands us the job or the boyfriend or the goal you are trying to achieve at the moment. It is the attitude we have towards ourselves and our lives that makes us who we are. What kind of attitude do you have? We are who we are because of where we come from and how we were raised. Are you going to let a little make up or a fly away get in the way of becoming who you want to be? Are you going to let that change your life by not landing that job because you are too worried about how you look rather than making sure the employer knows that you know what you are doing and can trust you in that position? Did the love of your life walk out the door because you were too worried about how your hair looked or what you had on to notice he loved you and didn't care? Are you truly being yourself or are you what society calls "normal"?

I ask you to ask yourselves these questions and more. Then take a good long look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are getting everything out of life that you can or if you are settling for what you think you deserve.