In part one of Hanna’s article series on confidence, Jade Best talks about her journey to achieving self-belief.
Thinking about life can get you down. Those everyday questions such as: where will I be in 5 years’ time? Who will I be with? Am I going to lose any weight? Will I ever be happy? They bombard our minds, which can lead a person to feel depressed and incomplete.
Society is fixated with young women and girls trying to lose weight to become the perfect size 10, in the hopes of finding “Prince Charming”. But why do they never emphasise the fact that everyone is different, and we all come in varying shapes and sizes, which makes us perfect in our own way.
You shouldn’t obsess over a Kit Kat you ate because it’ll add calories to your daily intake. Whatever happened to dignity, self-respect and power? We are so wrapped up in what society thinks we should do, say, think and feel – well, I say be who you want to be and not who others choose to see! Be proud of those love handles, because there are people who would do anything to have them. Embrace the couple of spots you have, because it’s part of who you are. And wait for the right person to come along, who will love you for everything you hate about yourself.
Don’t get me wrong, I too am sucked into society’s bubble of perfection, with the glossy magazines that share the latest gossip about the “hottest celebs” making up then breaking up, hitting the gym 7 times a week and getting “beach body ready”, since it’s almost summer, and we all know that summer means strutting around half-naked. However, when I sit there and really think about what these so-called “role models” go through 365 days a year, it’s them I feel sorry for. They have to always be perfect, and deep down they may not be truly happy. That’s when I think about my life, and no matter many ups and downs I have, with the odd tears of sadness, my life is still easier than theirs and yet I’m the “imperfect” one?
I want women to be truly happy with themselves, not just content. We all have bad days, some more than others, but we get through it because we’re REAL WOMEN. I want girls to grow up brave and powerful with the world to conquer, and not have to worry about things that don’t matter. Don’t stress about fitting in, because being different is perfectly fine. It’s taken me a long time to understand that you only live once and life is what you make it. You are beautiful inside and out, no matter what those magazines say you should look like. Be proud of every single inch of yourself from head to toe. Be the one who stands out, not the one who blends in. But most importantly: just be you.
Words: Jade Best
Image: Mia Hague (main picture taken from Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’ 1486
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