Life Other

DEFINING BEAUTY | HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021

March 8, 2021

Define your definition of beauty. What makes a woman BEAUTIFUL?

Growing up in a predominately white town with a non-existent Asian representation via “real life” or media, I was convinced that I was not beautiful because of my Asian features. I remember the first time I moved to my school district in first grade, with the limited English that I had learned, the first question a fellow classmate asked was “why is your hair black”. Even at a young age, we can differentiate differences amongst each other.

Being different, especially looking different, made me felt as if I could never be beautiful. Back then, the word beautiful was reserved for the girls who had brown or blonde hair, blue or green eyes that change color with the light and all features that belong to western women. I, with black hair, eyes so dark they never change color and distinct Asian features, could never be of par. I remember so vividly the days of comparing myself and picking apart my physical features.

I equated the definition of a woman’s beauty to her physical features; features that more or less cannot be changed. Features that at the end of the day, still make up the person to be who we are, but not exactly help define. As I moved out of the small town and entered university, I began to see more variety of women as media began to portray women of all backgrounds and I got to see women from all over the world. It was the first time I was able to truly open my eyes and realize that beauty does not purely lie within the features we are born with, but within the small moments in life when a woman exudes beautifulness.

On this international women’s day, I want to share with you what true beauty within women look like to me or rather the instances that convey beauty to me:

When a woman radiates confidence in her manners.
When a woman speaks her mind loudly, proudly and clearly.
When a woman reaches for the hands of other women she can help.
When a woman advocates strongly for her own worth.
When a woman challenges herself endlessly to pursue whatever big dreams brewing in her brain.
When a woman wears the brightest smile conveying the purest of joys.
When a woman helps to celebrate another person and being genuinely happy for others.
When a woman is able to take time to take care of herself; not just physically, but mentally, too.
When a woman proudly displays their weaknesses without shame.
When a woman puts herself first and loves herself endlessly.

You are beautiful, today and every day. You don’t have to fit societal standards of what a “true” beautiful woman looks like because there is no such thing. It is you. You see a beautiful woman every day in the mirror. I get it, sometimes it’s hard work to feel it, but whether you’re in a suit getup feeling 100% on the outside and 0% in the inside or you’re on the couch snacking on some potato chips feeling the reverse, let me remind you that beautiful has a multitude of definitions and every version is BEAUTIFUL. It’s not solely instilled in the physical features, but in our actions, mindset and beliefs.

Take today (and 5 seconds every day after) to remind yourself of how beautiful you are. Women are truly so capable and powerful in all we do. Happy international women’s day!!

A million and one thanks for reading – until my next lil’ thought then!