You Are Beautiful.
I've faced expectations and ideals for as long as I can remember. I used to think that they were my family's, but I've found that, for the most part, I've imposed these expectations and ideals upon myself.
Taking a step away from blaming myself, however, the immense value of being (supposedly) perfect has seeped so deeply into our society that we cannot face our imperfections. For example, tests in school cause students to practically destroy themselves in order to achieve a good score, and then the students blame themselves and think there's something wrong with them when they aren't able to achieve the 100%. Also, people waste away their lives in their jobs, forgetting their families and the relationships that truly matter (including with themselves) simply to achieve the perfection in that job and the money and status that accompanies it. It's highly important to earn a good test score and to responsibly provide for yourself and your family, but the stigma against even 1% of imperfection has worn mankind down. Even slight imperfections in machines is so vehemently looked down upon, as companies strive for the "bigger and better" and individuals become impatient and frustrated when the internet's not working or the screen's frozen. But machines don't have feelings. Is it not possible that this stigma, of all plausible causes, is at the heart of depression, the plague that haunts the modern world?
My favorite moment in the video below is when the mother convinces her daughter to go through the beautiful door with her. This same mother later remarks that all of the young women of the world should know how beautiful they are. I agree, even though I also struggle with self-confidence. All people should understand and choose to see how beautiful they are. It's easier said than done, and particularly easier said to someone else and not to one's own self, but perhaps if we strive to help everyone around us "choose beautiful" the world may be a happier place.
I've been thinking to myself over the past couple of years how I might be able to fix whatever's wrong with me, but recently, and especially upon writing this post, I've realized that maybe, just maybe, the answer is outside. It's difficult to focus outside of ourselves and it's grated my emotions whenever I've heard people say that it's selfish to be depressed ("look beyond yourself and focus on others" "just choose to be happy"), so I don't intend to say those things. However, perhaps all of mankind should strive to spread confidence and love, even in the smallest degrees. Perhaps it's not so much about each of us struggling to figure out how to mend ourselves but rather about mending each other. We may not believe and may even reject words or actions, but I'm sure there's some part of our souls which cannot resist the positive light of love and encouragement. Though the mother must have felt inadequate many times, she went through the beautiful door in order to guide and encourage her daughter. As a result, both surely were encouraged. In the video, most who chose beautiful were not alone. They, as friends, family, and strangers, helped each other choose beautiful, because, despite anxieties and imperfections, they are beautiful.
Taking a step away from blaming myself, however, the immense value of being (supposedly) perfect has seeped so deeply into our society that we cannot face our imperfections. For example, tests in school cause students to practically destroy themselves in order to achieve a good score, and then the students blame themselves and think there's something wrong with them when they aren't able to achieve the 100%. Also, people waste away their lives in their jobs, forgetting their families and the relationships that truly matter (including with themselves) simply to achieve the perfection in that job and the money and status that accompanies it. It's highly important to earn a good test score and to responsibly provide for yourself and your family, but the stigma against even 1% of imperfection has worn mankind down. Even slight imperfections in machines is so vehemently looked down upon, as companies strive for the "bigger and better" and individuals become impatient and frustrated when the internet's not working or the screen's frozen. But machines don't have feelings. Is it not possible that this stigma, of all plausible causes, is at the heart of depression, the plague that haunts the modern world?
My favorite moment in the video below is when the mother convinces her daughter to go through the beautiful door with her. This same mother later remarks that all of the young women of the world should know how beautiful they are. I agree, even though I also struggle with self-confidence. All people should understand and choose to see how beautiful they are. It's easier said than done, and particularly easier said to someone else and not to one's own self, but perhaps if we strive to help everyone around us "choose beautiful" the world may be a happier place.
I've been thinking to myself over the past couple of years how I might be able to fix whatever's wrong with me, but recently, and especially upon writing this post, I've realized that maybe, just maybe, the answer is outside. It's difficult to focus outside of ourselves and it's grated my emotions whenever I've heard people say that it's selfish to be depressed ("look beyond yourself and focus on others" "just choose to be happy"), so I don't intend to say those things. However, perhaps all of mankind should strive to spread confidence and love, even in the smallest degrees. Perhaps it's not so much about each of us struggling to figure out how to mend ourselves but rather about mending each other. We may not believe and may even reject words or actions, but I'm sure there's some part of our souls which cannot resist the positive light of love and encouragement. Though the mother must have felt inadequate many times, she went through the beautiful door in order to guide and encourage her daughter. As a result, both surely were encouraged. In the video, most who chose beautiful were not alone. They, as friends, family, and strangers, helped each other choose beautiful, because, despite anxieties and imperfections, they are beautiful.
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