Choose You Pt. 2

        In the past few months, I have been engaging in a journey of self-discovery to grow closer to loving and understanding my own uniqueness. My journey of personal development taught me the importance of self-love and acceptance. Our lives can be influenced by the media in such a way that we develop a low sense of self-esteem. Sometimes it can be demoralizing to go on social media and see images of what is perceived to be the "perfect" body type or lifestyle. I've been overwhelmed by the expectations of how we should look, what we should accomplish, and how we should live our lives overall. For example, I saw a post on Instagram pointing out the differences between celebrities' Instagram versus  reality pictures. This is something we have become accustomed to seeing these photos, and even though you know that people only show the good times they have, it still affects the way you look at yourself.  Am I pretty enough?  Am I too fat? Does my body look good? Does my body look good in this outfit? Am I too dark? Do I have the right hairstyle? Is my hair long enough?  Are my edges laid?  These are all questions I ask myself even through my personal journey of actively building self-confidence. I realized how powerful social media is and it reminds me that media outlets play a big factor in how we dissect our lives.  It was my belief that I needed to alter my appearance to meet the beauty standards that were considered acceptable.  This is an extremely important point for me as I have felt incapable of feeling enough so many times in my life. My experience influenced me to turn to outside sources to find acceptance and validation within myself.  This led me to realize that I am the only one capable of defining who I am, and no one else is responsible for it.

I am learning that who I am and how I act has a purpose and for that I should stop comparing myself to others. Perfection is an illusion many of us create to hide our flaws. By chasing perfection, I have been unable to concentrate on myself and happiness, relieving pressure, and accepting my imperfections. Self-love doesn't come easily, but it allows you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself. It is up to you to decide what you want for yourself, and that starts by loving yourself both inside and out. One of the best decisions I have made in my life is the ability to learn to love myself. A word of advice to people going through a similar journey is to remember there is only one you.