Learning How to Become the Person I am Suppose to Be
My blog partner Dove has a campaign highlighting Real Beauty and a new video they’ve released encompasses my thoughts on authenticity and individuality so beautifully. Today’s blog post is sponsored by Dove, however the thoughts, and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting brands that believe in us.
“The two most important days in a person’s life are they day they are born, and the day they find out why” – Mark Twain. I’ve had this theme on my mind a lot lately and I’ve been trying to find a way to put it all to words.
The last year of my life has been so incredible but also so incredibly difficult. My mother got sick, I’m more worried about my husband at his job than ever, and sometimes it just feels like the world is falling apart.
It’s easy to get caught up in divisiveness, arguments, and negativity. Or comparisons that lead to feelings of inadequacy or jealousy. Especially when you spend as much time online as I do.
I had to pull back a little and reflect. I delegated some of my online tasks and withdrew from the constant feed and bombarding of updates. It gave me time to stop looking at everyone else and really focus and remember who I am. What I believe in. And what’s important to me. It may sound a little selfish, but I think when done right, it can be a healthy reset.
As I’ve had this period of self-reflection, over and over again I’ve been hit with a curiosity about individuality.
There has never been and will never be anyone on this earth who is exactly like you. You are an original. How long does it take us to realize that and embrace it? How much of our lives to we spend trying to be like someone else? Trying fit in? What if we all helped each other to become the absolute best people we are suppose to be instead of just trying to be like each other?
In this new short film by Dove Real Beauty Productions we meet Kylee, a woman who is shedding traditional notions of femininity and embracing her own beauty, and helping others do the same. According to a study conducted by Dove, 74% of women believe more needs to be done to redefine the current definition of beauty to be more inclusive and 3 out of 4 gay and lesbian women believe society suggests they do not care about beauty.
“The most beautiful someone can be is when they are being the most authentically themselves.”
Authentically themselves.
Are you being authentically yourself?
I can tell you it took me a long time to get there. In fact, sometimes I find I’m still working on it. Growing up I went through phases of hating how I looked, from my hair texture, to my eye and skin color. I just wanted to fit in, but it wasn’t possible. I wasted so much time wishing I was someone else instead of being the person I was born to be. Seeing as I’m the only one who’s ever going to get a shot at being ME I’d better start making the best of it. Perhaps we all should.
This blog post is sponsored by Dove. Thank you for supporting brands that believe in us.
Tags: dove, real beauty
This is, perhaps, the best blog post you have ever written. Because what you wrote is real. And true. And simple. It doesn’t feel like you had to write this and for your sponsor in like many of your other sponsored posts.
I just turned 39, and I have been struggling with that question a lot. Who am I? What is my purpose? And this whole “be your authentic self” theme came up recently with my 2 teenage girls in regards to social media useage and what we hope to gain by posting photos of ourselves. I am going to share this post with them tonight. Thank you.
Cha, I’m so happy to hear this resonated with you and I hope it helps your kids too. Man, I can’t even imagine the struggle teens go through right now, it’s hard out there. They’re lucky to have a mom like you who’s willing to work through that with them!
Thanks for your sweet words. I write all my posts from the heart, sponsored or not, but I’m glad this one stuck out 🙂
Beautiful post. So many of us struggle with who we are whether it’s because of race/skin colour, weight, sexuality or mental health issues etc. Sometimes it’s hard not to feel “less than”. So I love the message behind this. 🙂
This is so beautiful. I am such a fan of your blog and your writing in general. Finding yourself and the person you are supposed to become is such an important and beautiful part of life. It does take a very long time to get there as you said, however it is so worth it!