So true! Think I’m gonna start posting some quotes now and again for inspiration. What do you think? 
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Self Esteem/Body Image
Have you all seen this advertisement yet? The blogosphere in Singapore is going crazy over it and I am too – take a look, it is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe this was approved, I’m speechless. It’s in Chinese, but you can get the gist of it.
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Why yes, bikini season is upon us! Are those groans I hear? OK, I understand – prancing around in a bathing suit is pretty intimidating, especially with all those perv– uh, I mean watchful eyes at the beach. Who wouldn’t feel self-conscious? But I think it is time to let it all go. Life is too short.
One of my biggest insecurities growing up was wearing a swimsuit on vacation, and it was only a few years ago that I got over it – and boy is life so much more fun when you just don’t care! I already talked about how to start loving your body, so this time I am gonna share some of the lessons I’ve learnt in bikini body confidence, so this Summer you can quit hiding behind the beach towel and have fun.
1. That Old Cliché
Let me start off by saying the greatest cliché known to man: nobody is perfect. It’s been said to death because it is true. NOBODY is perfect.
We all come in different shapes and sizes. It’s the differences that make us unique, so we shouldn’t obsess about them! Why waste your time? Looking at your body in the mirror and analyzing each part you hate is not doing any good. Instead of looking at your “big arms”, be thankful you actually have two full-functioning arms. Be THANKFUL you have a healthy body and drill it into your head that nobody is perfect. There is so much more important things to worry about in the world than your jiggly butt on the beach. I mean honestly.
2. The Secret
I can remember when I was 13 and in beautiful Costa Del Sol, Spain. I would go to the beach every day, and I never went into the water. Why? Because I was so self-conscious of my body. In school I was teased for being so tall and “boney”, I was certain that everyone would stare. And there were boys there! What if they said all the nasty things the boys used to say at school? What if they looked at me and shouted “Skeleton!” as well? I couldn’t bear the humiliation. Now I am kicking myself because the beach was so beautiful – and how many times am I in Spain? I missed the opportunity to go and really enjoy myself because I cared what strangers thought of me. I mean, it’s not like I knew any of them or even remember what they look like now! So really; think about it. Who cares what others think? Why are stranger’s opinions having any impact on you?
… And here’s The Secret: not everyone is looking at you. It’s all in your head. Relax; which brings me on to my next point…
3. Have fun!
Whether you’re at the beach or by the pool, have fun! You are only young once. The secret to being confident is to have fun. When you’re happy and having a ball, the last thing on your mind is, “Can they see my cellulite? Does my butt look big in this suit?” So get out there and play beach volleyball, eat ice cream, read a book or take a dip in the ocean. We are healthy and alive, and so blessed to be able to go to the beach, so have fun and enjoy the moment!
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I had a makeup post lined up for today, but I was reading my daily devotional that I get to my e-mail and had to re-post this. It is simply beautiful. At the end of the day, girls, it’s your inner beauty that makes you beautiful.
It’s said the public relations department of a beauty products company asked its customers to send pictures along with brief letters, describing the most beautiful women they knew. Thousands of letters came in. One caught the attention of the employees and was passed on to the president.
It was written by a boy from a broken home who lived in a run-down neighbourhood. With lots of spelling errors, an excerpt from his letter read: ‘A beautiful woman lives down the street from me. I visit her every day. She makes me feel like the most important kid in the world. We play checkers and she listens to my problems. She understands me. When I leave she always yells out the door that she’s proud of me.’ The boy ended his letter saying, ‘This picture shows you that she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and one day I hope to have a wife as pretty as her.’
Intrigued, the president asked to see the woman’s picture. His secretary handed him a photograph of a smiling, toothless woman, well advanced in years, sitting in a wheelchair. Sparse grey hair was pulled back in a bun. The wrinkles that formed deep furrows on her face were somehow diminished by the twinkle in her eyes.
‘We can’t use this woman,’ said the president, smiling. ‘She would show the world that our products aren’t necessary to be beautiful.’
We discussed many topics of inner beauty in the past, and I’ve loved all of our self-esteem and self-love posts, so I want to ask you today:
Who’s the most beautiful person you know?
Mine is a tie – I just can’t choose! The most beautiful people I know are my Mom and Dad, above, one of their first dates! They are the kindest, most loving people I know, I love them to death.
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Image: Glamour
This post needs no introduction, don’t you think? There are a little over 3 more months left to the year, and wouldn’t 2011 be awesome if all our body image woes were put away? Here are some of my ideas of starting to love your body the way it is… please add your own, too!
Love your best feature. Instead of focusing on the body part you hate, why not emphasize the one that you love? If you hate your nose but love your lips, why not experiment with bright and bold lip colors to show them off? Same with your body – if you love one body part more than the rest, emphasize them and dress them up.
Ban all negative body talk. Make it a point to you and your group of friends to ban negative body talk – whether it’s complaining about your weight or gossiping about someone else – both are as horrible as each other and I recommend to stop it! Anytime you or someone else even starts, don’t worry about coming across rude – just tell them to stop.
Accept people of all sizes. I cannot begin to explain the disgust I felt when an ex-boyfriend made a comment about a larger girl. Thank heavens he’s long gone form my life. I’d suggest you don’t ever be as classless as that – never make comments about other people’s size! Just like eye colors and heights, people come in different shapes and sizes. Learn to accept it and stop judging others or yourself. If everyone looked the same this planet would be extremely boring, don’t you think?
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Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical. — Sophia Loren
Just like what inspired my post on How to Start Building Self-Esteem, so is a recent conversation with a close friend. He talked about a girl he liked that was “so pretty”, but when he described her personality, I could only cringe. I told him that she may have outer beauty, but it seems like she has no inner beauty. We then got to discussing what inner beauty was, and before you know it, we were both out of words… it’s just undefinable!
I like to think there is more to beauty than just physical appearance, that’s why Beauty Fool also focuses on the other side of beauty – the inner aspect. I love makeup, hairstyles, skin recommendations as much as the next girl, but I think ultimately true beauty lies within. But what exactly is inner beauty? When we say someone is ‘beautiful’ don’t we almost always refer to the physical beauty we can see?
This is what I came up with before my mind hit a blank: Inner beauty is having compassion for others, helping others, being joyful, being a shoulder to cry on, respecting others, respecting yourself, listening, smiling, having kindness to animals, loving others and of course, loving yourself. Phew!
So I have to ask: What is inner beauty to you?
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Don’t you love a girl who embraces her natural skin tone? Here’s Anne Hathaway at the Alice in Wonderland premiere (still obsessed with the movie!) looking absolutely breathtaking.
I remember once a guy told me, “if you’d get a tan, I’d date you. You’re too pale.” Goodness! (Isn’t it amazing how the West denotes beauty and luxury with being tan and bronzed, while the East think the exact opposite?). Girls, don’t obsess being too tan or too white. Don’t let anyone make you think your skin color is not “good enough!”, whether it’s too light, too dark, too whatever. All skin colors are beautiful and unique in their own ways.
I think self tanners and whitening/radiance products are fine, as long as it’s just a simple thing done once in a while – but I still think it’s even better to love and embrace your natural skin color. (If you don’t agree and must tan, avoid tanning beds and opt for self tanner products. And if you’d like to be fairer, please avoid dangerous ‘bleaching’ creams like a plague and opt for skin care products that promote radiance instead.)
To quote some beauty company I can’t remember, “love the skin you’re in” … it’s beautiful the way it is.
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