The Beauty of Black Self-Love

How many times have you felt like you weren't up to par simply because you didn't get your eyebrows done over the weekend or were a week late on getting your edges touched up? How many times have you felt inadequate simply because your shoes weren't designer or your car wasn't considered "luxury". Most women can admit that feelings of insecurity do creep into their minds from time to time, but what's most important is how you choose to deal with your moments of weakness.



Self-image is such an important aspect in our lives. If we look good, we feel good. If we feel good, we do good. If we do good, good things come to us. It's a wonderful cycle as long as we are in high spirits, however, the moment we let our guard down and allow negative thoughts to cloud our minds is the moment when we can be thrown off course.



Since self-image and the way we view ourselves is so important to the way we present ourselves to the world and also how the world views us, it is mind boggling to me how much we equate our image- our worth, to our outward appearance. Am I better than you because my hair flows down my back? Are you better than me because you have higher cheekbones and a sleeker neckline? Is she better than us because her skin is the color of caramel?



I recently saw a picture of a black woman and it really struck a chord with me. I literally stopped doing what I was previously doing because her aura was so striking. She was average size, average height, and had average looks. I was only able to see her face, so her beauty had nothing to do with what she was wearing. There was just an internal glow about her that seemed to leap off the page and surround me. The moment I looked at the photo, I realized in a split section that what should truly be necessary to make someone feel beautiful and secure is not a killer shoe collection or the latest bag, but rather something a bit more intangible. Something that would actually mean something when your youth fades and your looks wither away. Something more along the lines of confidence.

Don't get me wrong, it is very important to care about how you look and to take pride in the physical image you are putting forth, however, it is even more important to build upon your inner strength. Material possessions are very fickle. One day you can have them and the next day you might not. It is for this reason that we should not get too consumed with pursuing these meaningless objects. Instead, we should make time for the people in life that make us happy, that situations and experiences that build our character, and the opportunities that help mold us into the strong women that we want to become.