Beauty is an Illusion.

Bloated & beautiful 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. Same goes for whatever insecurity might make you feel less than. I used to think if I lost weight and got to a healthy number on the scale I wouldn’t feel self-conscious again. The truth is, our insecurities come from our minds not our physical appearance. 


My body changes every day. Each time I wake up, every time I eat a meal, exercise or lie still. Some days I’m more bloated than others, some days I find more cellulite. But I am actively teaching myself how to feel beautiful no matter how I may appear in the mirror. To view my inner beauty through my skin. 


Beauty is an illusion and it’s my choice to hold on to it each and every day. This is why I never filter my reality for social media. That would mean giving up on my beauty. The moment I pretend to be something else is the moment I tell myself I’m not enough. The moment I start believing I’m not beautiful the way I am. Of course it is natural to “feel ugly” at times, but being ugly isn’t something we can change with an airbrush. 


Ugly to me is a person who hurts others. A person who doesn’t give back. Ugly to me is a person who is self-obsessed at the expense of those around them. Ugly people can look like anyone. Beautiful to me is a person who is confident in what they have. A person who sets out to help others. Beauty is a feature that needs to be appreciated, physical appearance is merely the wrapping paper. We all have beauty, it’s about who has nurtured that beauty within themselves so it can shine through.


I’ve talked about my stretch marks, my extra skin, my stubborn fat areas and other insecurities I battle with. I understand it’s only human to instinctually want these parts of me gone or different. But I also recognize how much happier I am when I switch the narrative. Why do we even consider these things unattractive? They’re what make us human! I am a real woman. I want to look like a real woman. I want to show others how to embrace natural beauty. My stretch marks are art. One of a kind value. My extra skin is my hero cape. Proof that I prevail. My stubborn fat areas are me enjoying my favorite meals. I don’t let unnecessary worrying stop me from loving life. All of me is lovable but if I don’t love myself does it even matter? 


Feeling beautiful is powerful. Confidence motivates productivity. Energy is contagious and when it’s positive, can help people more ways than we even realize. Happy people rub off on others and what’s a happier feeling than loving and accepting who we are? So I vow to embrace my reflection in the mirror as the beautiful woman I am every day. Focus on change within my control. Change that makes a difference. The mirror doesn’t show who I am. The mirror shows what I see when I look at myself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and our perspective on our own beauty is up to us. Make effort to call yourself beautiful and learn to mean it.

Dress from Amethyst Colony - owned by my incredible friend, Natalie Taline!