By Sophia Milla ('20)
In an art museum, you’ll probably stare in awe at the beautiful masterpieces around you, but you’ll forget the most beautiful of them all: you.
On a daily basis, you may forget about the incredible beauty lingering inside of you, especially since you might feel like you lack the beauty you see in your surroundings.
Beauty doesn’t refer to just physical appearances, but also to a person’s unique qualities. You might want to see your own beauty, but you’re blind when you compare yourself to those around you. If you want to see your beauty, don’t compare yourself to the beauty of others, and soon then you’ll reveal your masterpiece.
A masterpiece is unique. Its beauty doesn’t match to that of any other work of art. Unfortunately, many people forget the importance of being unique, so they feel pressured by what they see around them which is common in girls.
“A study conducted in Australia found that seeing thin models on TV and in magazines made girls feel that they weren’t good enough, pretty enough, or thin enough,” according to research center Park Nicollet Melrose Center.
Similarly, a survey conducted by Girl Scouts of America, reported that nine out of ten girls felt pressured by the media to change their appearances.
However, girls are not the only ones in this battle of societal pressure and norms.
According to a study done by University of Pittsburgh, “It seems as though every male icon is pictured as violent, aggressive, and/or a muscular person. Males of all ages and races are influenced by advertisements that portray these icons. The more advertisements they see, the more pressure they feel to fulfill this idea of masculinity.”
Girls and boys alike try to align themselves with what they see each day on a daily basis. You might be trying to do the same, too. Whether it’s the pictures you see on Instagram or the crazy diet plan you’ve been following from online, the media is constantly pressuring you to be a “better you.”
Junior Erin Murphy said, “Before I tried to be like [other people], but now I’m just going to be myself because it’s fun.”
Even though it’s great to learn from other people, it’s unhealthy to feel pressured and that you must live up to their expectations. Your best self is being true to your identity.
“Being yourself helps establish your life and direction. You’ll feel comfortable… If you feel comfortable in your skin, you can be who you are instead of trying to be like everyone else,” said Guidance Counselor Mr. Peter Kuzma.
Embrace who you are. Nobody else can be a better you.
According to writer Colleen Salughter Raue in an Authentic Leadership article, “Instead of draining your energy by focusing on what others seem to have, focus instead on yourself and on continuing to express your greatest attributes.”
Almost always, you will only see people from the outside. But when you take a closer look, you’ll realize that what you see doesn’t totally define that person. They’re made up of good things along with flaws.
You have beautiful features, and flaws, which are so essential that you should embrace them and not hide them. That’s what makes you just like a masterpiece. The perfections of a masterpiece always come from the imperfection behind it.