Love Yourself First
I always had things about me that I didn’t like. I didn’t like the way my body looks, I didn’t like my nose, or I didn’t like the color of my hair. I became more and more aware of them as I got older. When I was about seven years old, I began to gain a lot of weight. It never bothered me, even when my family would comment on it. Then starting in 6th grade, I somehow managed to lose that weight. That was when I started to notice my body. I was now skinny. But that didn’t stay for long, in my opinion. I would now and then gain a few pounds and then lose a few pounds. I thought I was fat, but my family told me that I wasn’t and that I’m a good shape. I didn’t believe them. I tried to eat less but I wasn’t very good at it. My weight has been something that I don’t like the most out of all the others.
I tried so many ways to lose weight. I never had it in me to try anything extreme. I have thought about it though. I tried eating less and sometimes not eating at all, but that didn’t last long. I would end up eating more for the times I didn’t eat. I thought about anorexia and bulimia, but I couldn’t forced the food back out.
I always see thin and beautiful models in magazines and in fashion shows. They all look so beautiful on screen and on the runway. Our society puts a pedestal on good-looking people. Young girls and women are the ones being pressured the most to look a certain way. I lived this way for so long now that it’s hard to stop going along with everyone else, thinking that I have to be a size 0 to look beautiful.
Now that I’m older I don’t wear shorts or tank tops often because I’m afraid people will think I’m fat. Even when it’s really hot outside, I still wear jeans. I have not worn a swimming suit in years. I don’t even swim. The last time that I went swimming and worn a swimming suit would have been about eight years ago.
I believe that loving everything about you first, is the first step to true happiness in life. I’m not all the way there yet but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to give up. When you appreciate yourself, you start to see the good in things and that not everything has to be the same. Just keep trying and you’ll find that true happiness in yourself.
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Thanks Linh for being so honest and open in your writing. This is a strong essay, very personal and powerful in its message. The topic you write on and the problem you have faced seems too common in our society. I'm sure everyone around you would tell you you have nothing to worry about with your concerns, and I will add that so much of personal beauty also comes from one's mind, and yours seems to be in great shape. Very strong piece. You are a writer. Oh, and should you want to follow this topic more in your blogs and for final product, consider it. It is a very important issue that you bring up.
ReplyDeleteInstructor Tom
I agree with your last few statements. You should always love yourself first and never change who you are to me other people's views. Honey i am a size 7 or 9 on any good day and i feel beautiful. A size 0 wouldn't fit past my cave muscle.lol But really you are a wonderful person and an essay such as yours brings sorrow on my heart because you are beautiful and you can wear anything you please. You are smaller than me and i know i am not fat, and even if you were any body shape can be beautiful. It's confidence that brings out your inner beauty. So live your life happily and never let others judge you. This was a great essay to read.
ReplyDelete"Young girls and women are the ones being pressured the most to look a certain way."
ReplyDeleteI completely 100% agree with you on this. There's so much pressure on women these days to look "good" and if you don't, then you're not "good enough".
I have that same concern you do. I don't remember a time when i appreciated even a little bit about how i looked. To others, I'm always hard on myself and I'm always putting myself down. But when someone calls me fat or ugly, I don't just rub it off. I keep it inside and tell myself that over and over again so I never really truly accept myself. I try to.. But that little voice, just has to repeat what others have said to me and it doesn't go away.
Lihn, I think you are beautiful. I think everyone is beautiful in their own way and they shouldn't beat themselves too much over it. There will be days when you think your hair is bad, or you don't like a certain thing about yourself but that's just a one time thing. You shouldn't take it to heart so much. It's part of being human. No one is perfect. :)
I love how you were so bodly honest and expressed you inner most thoughts. I really felt the journey you had with you r weight as i read the essay. I love the line "im not there yet but it doesnt mean im going to give up" that seriously could apply to so many thing that people struggle with on a daily basis which is why its so powerful.
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