This is a reminder that no matter who you are, never let your differences put you in a corner.
While getting dressed for church, my youngest, with a very intriguing look on her face, said, ” Mommy, you are beautiful!” In that moment, two things happened…
One…My eyes welted up with tears because, in a world with unrealistic beauty standards and stereotypes, my daughter saw me as an epitome of beauty.
Two…It reinforced that a simple compliment on one’s appearance can help rewrite another person’s beauty story.
As a communications coach and a big know your value advocate, I know with confidence a girl can do anything. But girls often get their ideas of the world from those around them. Not to mention, social media, celebrity culture, and advertising have become a real source of anxiety for our girls’ self-esteem.
Over the years, I, too, have had to rewrite my own beauty story. What I realized was that self-awareness and self-love are more powerful than you think. The more self-aware I became, the better I was at forming healthy relationships, overcoming body image issues, and being my best self.
Now, as a mother, it is important to me that I raise confident daughters who feel comfortable in their own unique beauty. I love what Dove is doing with their self-esteem and body confidence education. For 22 years, Dove has been a part of my family’s personal care routine. It was the go-to for calming my oldest daughter’s eczema skin, and it is still used for my youngest. I’m proud to use a brand that is inspiring millions of women and girls around the world to be confident in who they are.
Dove’s got it right! Beauty isn’t one size fits all. There is diversity in beauty. While I know there is a vulnerability around unmasking yourself. You can either let the imperfections of who you are stress you or surrender to the uniqueness and diversity in your own unique beauty.
Surrendering has helped me ‘turn up the volume on who I am’…loving my body, embracing my own skin and hair journey—and in so doing, helping to change the narrative for my daughters’ confidence. This is why my mission is for my daughters, as well as women and girls, to understand their worth, know that real beauty lies in their most authentic selves, and know that ‘the only like that counts is their own.’
Self-love is the key to feeling beautiful. Feeling good about yourself gives you all the confidence in the world. For me, loving myself was a process until my concept of beauty shifted. I learned that I had to define beauty for myself, plus being my most happy and best self begins with embracing it—wherever it is right now.
Today, I am unapologetic about who I am and am more aware of the language I use with myself, my girls, my clients, and my peers. I am conscious of planting seeds of affirmation and confidence.
How are you embracing your authentic self unapologetically, redefining beauty standards, and smashing stereotypes?
