Now that I am in my last year of my twenties I recently realized I wasted so much time being hard on myself. My early twenties were spent judging the way I looked compared to everyone around me. Because of that, I don’t think I saw myself as beautiful then.
Over the past few years that way of thinking has changed for me. I don’t know if it is because I stopped caring about what other people think of me. Maybe it was because I finally feel like I came into my own as a person. Or if it just what happens when you get older. Either way, the way I see myself now compared to seven or eight years ago is very different. And if I can offer any advice to those new twenty-somethings, it is to see yourself as the beautiful person you are.
There are so many images out there of men and women with these “perfect” bodies and features. We see them on TV, in the movies, in magazines, online, and on social media. We are inundated with images of what is supposed to be perfect and beautiful.
In actuality, that is not the case. Beauty is not having a six-pack or perfect lips. It is so much more than that. Look at Ashley Graham and Robyn Lawley. They are changing the way the world sees supermodels. They are beautiful and yet some people would say they aren’t because of their size.
The latest horrific trend to change your appearance to what people are seeing as “beautiful” is the Kylie Jenner lip challenge. Watching some the videos of some of the people who did the challenge left me completely mortified. Why are there so many young people mutilating their faces to look like her? Don’t they realize she got lip filler to look like that? We need to stop imitating others (especially the Kardashian/Jenner clan) and instead be true to ourselves.
My sister used to retouch the swimsuit issue for Surfing Magazine and she would always show me the before and after pictures of the models and they never looked like they did in the final product. Some were too skinny and had to be filled out; others had cellulite just like the rest of us.
It is these ideas of what is beautiful that often makes many of us feel like we are not even though we are. There comes a time when you need to accept who you are — flaws and all — to really be happy with you. It is one thing to accept your personality traits, but accepting you’re who you are on the outside will immediately change your confidence and people will notice the difference.
Being confident with who you are inside and out is the biggest part of coming into your own as a twenty-something. As a teenager you go through awkward stages, but by your twenties you are who you are and you need to decide if you are willing to accept the beauty in front of you or not.
I hope that all of you chose to accept the beauty you have to offer this world. Because everyone is beautiful and I think many of us forget that sometimes. It is recognizing the beauty that is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Like I said in my early twenties I was very hard on myself to look like everyone else.
But now I just think, “This is me and I like me.”
Yes we can all alter out outward appearance with a haircut, new clothes or a little makeup but fixing the person who is inside is not so easy. What we should all focus on is how to be the best versions of ourselves.
I believe that every person is beautiful and has something special to offer the world so why don’t we all start acting like it? Do me a favor; pay someone a compliment about his or her beauty today. Just because we may accept who we are doesn’t mean we don’t like getting compliment every once and awhile. It could just be the confidence booster someone needs.
About the Author
Lauren graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in psychology. She enjoys spinning, crafting, and Saints football. She is currently getting her teaching credential with hope to inspire future generations.