Why I Don't Have To Be Your Definition Of Beautiful | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Why I Don't Have To Be Your Definition Of Beautiful

"To thine own self be true."--William Shakespeare

8
Why I Don't Have To Be Your Definition Of Beautiful
Myself

As a woman living in today's society, I as well as other women am given massively unrealistic expectations for how I should look in the eyes of others.

It's tiring to try to fit the standards for everyone. To have to be fully aware of my weight, my choice in clothing, my stress levels, the amount I choose to smile, my posture and wearing enough makeup to walk the faulty line between having a "natural look" without not wearing anything at all. Society's goals for women, as they seem, are to make sure we are always doing our best to please others, stay poised and maintain a positive image in the limelight.

Well, I'm here to say that it's just not possible all the time.

There will be days where you woke up late and don't feel like getting ready, so you will jump out of bed after hitting the snooze button 10 times. You're going to want to wear your hair naturally, or rest your face for once, or even decide to try the new risky lipstick you've been eyeing at Sephora. You will feel sad, angry and irritated and sometimes will pick the tub of ice cream over going to the gym. You may do that more than once, and that's okay too. You will be ridiculed or doubted because of your sexual preference, the color of your skin, your hair style, your stretch marks, or even the shape of your nose. But I'm here to say that anyone that has ever made you doubt your worth or your beauty based on their preconceived notions of how you should look or act, is completely wrong in any assumption they make about you.

We are women, and we are all beautiful and unique and full of purpose in our own ways. The size of our brain matters much more than the size of our jeans. We are not just your objects to direct your criticisms toward. We have different qualities that make us the definition of perfect to the people who matter. Although sometimes we may doll ourselves up, it is never for the purpose of you--sometimes we just want to look nice. We take care of each other and ourselves, and that is what is most important. What makes me beautiful is not me wearing a dress, or the right mascara, or the low-cut shirt. I am beautiful when I laugh, talk about someone I love, or am reading a book. Traditional, raw beauty might be hard to discover within yourself at first, but I promise you, it is there. And to the people who tell you you're not beautiful because you are not the size 0 supermodel or a curvy Kardashian sister, they are missing out on something even better, someone more authentic, because they are caught up in the notion that to be beautiful, we all have to be the same.

There will always be times you will feel like you have to compete with the woman sitting beside you, until you realize the woman sitting beside you is competing to be more like someone else, too. In such a harsh society, we have to stick together in order to fight these cruel stereotypes. The minute you realize you are more than enough, is when you can start encouraging other women that they are too.

So forget the people who told you that your personal beauty wasn't enough, because inward growth, passion and kindness goes far beyond how you may look on the exterior. Wear the makeup, or don't. Do your hair, or don't. Make the goofy face, and laugh the strong laugh. Dance terribly and sing way too loud. You only have one person you have to be sure you're making happy at the end of the day, and that one person is you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

3118
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302152
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments