You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful: Be You

I don’t have a perfect body, not nearly perfect skin. We forget what’s essential because we aim so much to look perfect in the eyes of many. But, do you look perfect for you?

I had the chance to learn how to wear much less make-up, wear less fancy clothes, and surprisingly, I turned out feeling good about my “self”. Once, I felt so much happier walking on the streets in the middle of the crowd wearing my oversized shirt and tattered shorts than when I recalled wearing my pretty dress simply because I had people to impress. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a woman, I love dresses. Sadly, most of the time, we only coat ourselves with the most beautiful things for us to feel just as beautiful. But, do you feel beautiful for you?

It is typical for women to make an effort just to look pretty, not necessarily for men’s attraction, but for our own satisfaction. We all want to feel appreciated, and physical beauty has become women’s greatest weapon— women all over the world, especially when it concerns the society’s point of view.

But, when can you honestly say you feel beautiful? Should we always rely on the physical world to sustain us? Shouldn’t it be otherwise? Shouldn’t we be the ones to sustain the outside world with our true inner beauty? Our true inner selves?

We should advocate in lifting up each other’s individualities. What other people say about you speak more about them than it does about you. Listen, but don’t forget the truth within you. You are your own mind, your own soul, your own heart. Show them, yet don’t shove it to them. People who truly care will know; they will recognize the real you. Remember, you are God’s uniquely beautiful creation. Be the beautiful you.

What Ifs

The insinuations of my heart might be right after all…

I would like to think its how God talks to me. He touches my heart to let me know the answers to my prayers. I do not specifically ask for my desires, I usually take what He gives. But maybe this time, He is using my heart to speak to me.

I’ve done regrettable things in the past, but I don’t actually regret them. I pride myself with the habit of learning from my decisions, no matter what outcome they may have led to. Much as I can, I make sure not to look at my mistakes as failures, but a window of growth; to lead me to the full knowledge of myself, becoming more aware of my sweet spots just as well as my hard parts.

Finding my career hasn’t been easy for me with my lack of decisiveness. Unlike others who have got it all figured out since they were a little child, I grew up asking a lot of what ifs. Somehow I believed that the only way to find out is to try them for myself. If the world has an abundance of wonders, I thought I’d like to experience them all out as it is the only way for me to figure out my self all at once.

However, through all this time, one thing remained speaking yet unheard at the back of my mind. I am meant to write; I am meant to carve out the thoughts in my head into beautiful words; I am meant to tell everyone about the world I live in apart from this physical space.

To share one’s thoughts is to share a portion of their life. And I’d like to share mine the best way I know I can.

Traveling as an Investment

Admit it, you have already been working hard enough to pay the bills. The pleasures you have been denying yourself are now long forgotten. At this point, you might be wondering why even the slightest triggering factors are becoming unbearable. Well then, it is time for you to get up from your chair, leave your desk, and see the world. You may have not realized that the only venture you failed to consider and what are essentially lacking, is to satisfy your need to rediscover. Book a flight to wherever you want to take yourself. Don’t think twice. Bring someone, or it could just be you and your travel plan.

Traveling is one of the best ways to keep yourself interested. No matter how successful you may feel you are in your career, you will always search for something new and exciting to break the mundane. Go to a different place and experience their culture. Taste their food and know the people. Open your eyes and see beauty in the little things. Find out that there is more to this life than what you can merely imagine.

In the middle of the road, find the opportunity to transform yourself. The more you interact, there’s more room for you to grow. As striving individuals, we must look after our personal growth. While the experience can shift your perspective, you can also detach yourself from your worries. Thus, you become happier instantly. The positive feeling you get from traveling replaces the tension you’ve been carrying since before you decided to go on a trip. And when you come back from the trip, you are a renewed person. What better investment is there than what you get from self-discovery?

Save up for tomorrow, but remember to live today. Building your hopes and dreams is a long trip but you can certainly get there with a little fun in between. After all, it’s not entirely about the destination, it’s all about the journey.