Today marks the first day of the challenge. Today we were asked to write about our definition of the word "beautiful". Not a definition based on the connotation society likes to place on the word but instead, our personal view about beauty.
I am not going to even attempt to lie and say that I have not been affected time and time again by society's standards and expectations. If that were the case, I wouldn't have been on a dangerous road many years ago. I wouldn't have begun to see myself as an "ugly woman" because I'm overweight. I would not have had to work so hard to regain my confidence. The reality is that yes, society helped trigger that but in the end, it was, and it is up to me how I process everything society places on us, especially when it comes to what we should be or what we should look like to be "beautiful". It really revolves around perception at the end of the day. What's beautiful to me is many times not beautiful to others and coming to that realization is what truly helped me in my life and in my journey to feeling beautiful again.
Confidence. To me, beauty begins with having confidence. Confidence not only on an exterior perspective but confidence in the fact that you have the ability to set your mind to something and the ability to accomplish your goals. Confidence in knowing that the ball ends with you. Confidence driving the car that leads the way to your happiness. Confidence in knowing that what you think of yourself is the most important thing and really, to me confidence is truly what encompasses all other factors that makes one beautiful. Without confidence, there's very little left.
A quote that a friend once shared with me, and that has stuck with me since then says "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" ~Eleanor Roosevelt. I have blogged about this quote before and till this day, it is this quote that has allowed me to become more confident in myself. When I find myself complaining or feeling down, this quote rings in the back of my mind and it rings true. I need to have confidence to fight off any negative remarks even if they are my own.
Setting Goals. Goals help give us an ending point, a destination. The ability to make goals and to keep them is essential to me because there's no greater feeling than meeting your goals and to me, having the faith in one's self is just plain out beautiful. Hmmm... kind of goes hand in hand with confidence, huh?
Taking Care of Yourself. I am not referring to just working out. No. That, to me, is not what taking care of yourself is all about. Eating healthier isn't what it's all about either. Don't get me wrong, they're both essential in being healthier, yes but there is so much more. I am talking about taking care of yourself as a whole, not just weight and dress size. I'm talking about taking care of yourself spiritually and mentally as well. Taking time to focus on you. Taking time to do something for yourself because you enjoy it. I love watching the sunrise and many times, I have gotten up from bed at crazy early times to go sit at the beach by myself and watch the sunrise, leaving my camera behind so that I can take the time to truly enjoy it for myself.
Being Happy. I truly feel that everyone can be beautiful and it's not up to everyone else to define what beauty is. It is up to the individual. As a photographer, I get to photograph many beautiful people. It is why I strive to get candid shots. It is why I want to capture natural smiles. Because I want to capture that; I want to capture people who are genuinely happy (not just smiling for the camera) because to me, being happy is really what being beautiful is all about.
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