What's important to remember is that we are all made differently and that is our power. As a young women I struggled hard with accepting the way that I looked and it wasn't necessarily that I had a bad shape or appearance. It was simply because I didn't look like those around me. Yet, so many people adored things about myself that personally I wanted gone or to never exist. I would be told all the time "Girl don't hide, you know what I would do if I had..." and quite frankly none of that made me feel good. I was appreciated for things that I took no value in. & then on other hand there were those that envied me and wanted to flaw me in any way that made them feel good and that attributed to my confliction. Do I even love me? Is love connected to my appearance and will I ever look in the mirror and be thankful for what I see?
For a while I took comfort in believing that I was undesirable. This overflowed into a lot of aspects in my life. Attributing to my depression. It wasn't until after I gave birth to my daughter that I learned to completely detach the meaning of beauty from my appearance. My body experienced so many changes and took on so many forms that still to this day I'm processing.
However, the most important thing that I took away from the experience was that I had the power to produce life. Maybe I'm a superhero or just maybe I can do anything I put my mind to. Someone like that shouldn't be bound to an undesirable love for themselves. I deserve to be celebrated because I'm great and everything thereafter is an addition to my awesomeness. Detaching myself from societal beauty standards has never left me so free. I'm beyond thankful to understand who I am and what value that brings to not only myself but those around me as well. If you to have struggled in the past and would love to talk or share your story. Please feel free to reach out. We would love to hear from you!
Best,
Shamia Vanderpool
CEO of MilaMe Boutique LLC.