In the life that I live, it seems like this world is so judgmental. To me, it seems as if everyone is trying so hard to chase perfection. So many of us are constantly trying to impress someone, something, or trying to imitate how they feel they “should be”. Yet, we are always still feeling let down. We feel like we are not pretty enough, skinny enough, or smart enough. We feel like we cannot get the job we want, or we can’t post a picture of ourselves because we aren’t pretty enough. We always feel like we are going to be judged.
However, I think we need to start taking a different approach to how we view ourselves.
Recently, I started a new job in a fancy Steakhouse. The restaurant has pretty strict requirements when it comes to dress code, one of the major requirements being: no jewelry. However, I was never told about the “no jewelry” rule until I arrived for my first day, and let me tell you, I have quite a few piercings. And when I walked into my job on the first day, they looked at me and said that I am not allowed to wear my nose hoop while I am at work. Supposedly, it doesn’t fit their “image”.
Several months ago, I had an older lady while I was waiting in line at the grocery store talk to me. She was probably around 70 years old, and asked me why I wear “that black thing in my nose” and “what does it do for myself, because I am beautiful without it”.
A few weeks back I had a situation where I could not get my nose hoop out. I had to have one of my guy friends help me get it out. He later told me after we finally got it out, “I don’t know why girls even get their nose pierced, it isn’t attractive”.
Now, how coincidental that all of these things have happened to me in the past few months. It made me start to wonder, question, and judge myself. I began to think “Maybe I should take out my nose hoop… Maybe I shouldn’t have got a tattoo… Or maybe, I shouldn’t have dyed my hair so much.” But then I realized something. People will always judge.
You are too skinny, too fat, too pretty, too smart, too tall, too athletic. Judgements are never going to end. And I was not put on this earth to be anything but myself. I obviously got those piercings for a reason, because I like them. I wanted a tattoo because it was a way for me to express myself. And I enjoy wearing makeup because I am not completely comfortable in my own skin without it. So for that, I am sorry.
I am sorry that you feel like you have to judge me for how I look and want to present myself. I didn’t know I was trying to fit a certain standard or image that was on this earth. And I most definitely didn’t know that so many people were judgmental. I don’t judge you for having no piercings, or for having your natural color hair, so why judge me?
In Peter 3, verses 3 and 4 it states "Do not be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourself with the beauty that comes from within. The withholding beauty of a gentle & quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."
After I read that I thought of two words: be yourself.
Even if you are not Christian, that verse can still be applicable to your life. It’s simply stating that beauty should come from within. It should come from within your soul, your personality, and who you are as a person. Not from the outside, not from materialistic items.
So I advise you to be natural, wear makeup, get tattoos, have piercings, dye your hair, or don't do any of that. Do what YOU want. It DOES NOT matter what you do because natural beauty always comes from within, which makes everyone beautiful in their own way. You are naturally beautiful when you are yourself. So stop judging people on what makes them feel comfortable in their own skin. Let's stop judging “a book” by it’s cover. After all, you never really get to know what “the book” is about until you finish the first chapter.
