The Beauty of being Human

Have you ever seen yourself captured in a video, perhaps during a family vacation or when giving a presentation at work? Do you cringe when you see yourself on video?

My reaction to seeing myself on screen is pure disgust. I HATE my facial expression, the sound of my voice, and the way my limbs move. Watching myself on screen is so uncomfortable, my whole being wants to look away or turn off the video.

If I am this awkward-looking person with a terrible accent, why on earth would other people not think so?

This gap in my own perspective of myself versus the reality of how others perceive me is so stark that it is almost incomprehensible. At the same time, this gap demonstrates how colored my lenses are, every moment I look at the world, every moment I look within me.

We often don’t see the beauty in ourselves. We don’t see our power, our worth. We take on the harshest critic, regardless of whether the critics are other people or our inner voices. Learning to be kind and accepting of our imperfections is hard enough. Learning to see our own beauty is even harder.

When was the last time you saw beauty in you when you are in a mess - mentally, emotionally, or physically?

When was the last time you felt truly secure walking into a party, where you didn’t know anyone?

When was the last time you are fearless in the face of rejection, because you believe so much in your own beauty that rejection no longer matters?

How many of you know that you are a beautiful human being?

I am not there yet, and I hope to be there someday. Not as a narcissist; just as a loving friend to me.

To all the perfectionists out there whose lenses are constantly filtering for our flaws, we can find the courage to embrace the beauty of being imperfect, we can embrace the beauty of being human.