Southwestern College Collegian

Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Personal Column

Look in the mirror, what do you see? Name the first three things that come to mind. Are they critical? Or maybe they are positive. Is this what you see and say everyday when you look at yourself before you head off to class? Do you believe your outer appearance would reflect your inner beauty? Ever since the movie "Shallow Hal," I have always wondered what I would look like on the inside, not literally but figuratively. Unfortunately the fact of the matter is humans are not concerned with the soul. Instead we are infatuated with appearances. Why is it that we plant unrealistic expectations for people in our heads and silently shake our heads at those who are not desperately trying to be perfect? It is because we are bombarded with images from pop culture that distort our idea of beauty. Images that twist healthy into unhealthy. We become desensitized to all of these images and eventually begin to evolve our thinking to follow the ideals of the impractical pop cultural. Millions of dollars go into looking younger, fitter, and sexier. Anti-aging creams, hair plugs, lifts and tucks, braces, magazines solely based on how to, "Have a rock hard body." Catchy sayings lure you in. "Lose those last five pounds." "Get rid of those pesky love handles." Even the most self-assured people hesitate for a second and think, "Whoa wait, that's me. I could lose a few." It is hard out there, not for a pimp, but for all of us. How do we get away from the self ridicule? We must first get away from the source of the insecurity, but it is not that easy. Discouragement is all around us. The key is to recognize the problem, and begin to turn off the effect it has on you. Every time an attractive slender woman goes bouncing across my TV screen, I say to myself, "Hmm, she has a nice rack but it's more exciting that mine are slightly lopsided." Let's stand up for who we are. The individual is beautiful, not the thousands of generic Barbies and Kens that are carved out of plastic. Embrace your flaws. It is what makes us human. Worry and guilt do nothing to benefit your well being. Forget about the fact that you just ate a cheeseburger with fries. Let yourself indulge in that cheesecake once in a while. Of course, too much indulgence is not good for your health either. Moderation is the key. We don't need to stress ourselves about the size we are wearing. Instead let's turn our focus to the inside. Ask yourself, "Is my soul beautiful?" Do you radiate like the moon off the mountain snow? Do you beam with compassion? When was the last time you helped a loved one? Does your heart feel positive and enlightened or desolate and droopy? Is this the person you want to be? If not, what is? How do you become a better you? You cannot become a better you unless you are happy. So the first step is to find something you love to do. For me, it is painting. I get lost in my canvas. I escape to a hidden field in "nowhere land," singing happy melodies of The Beatles and Van Morrison. Or I exercise. I go for hikes. Nature works miracles on the soul. But if all else fails, I would grab a white tee shirt and a tie-dye kit and go crazy. The idea is you must find something that sets your soul free. It is possible you do not have something that makes you truly happy, that allows you to reconnect with the inner you. In that case, start from scratch, visit your childhood. Take a skip down memory lane and recollect when you were happiest. If you discover happiness, your soul and spirit will rejoice and nothing can replace that feeling. The idea is to be comfortable with your body and spirit, to love your flaws and imperfections. We are not all created equal. How boring would it be if we were all the same cookie cutter shape? Some of us are pear shaped, or possibly cake shaped. Our slight abnormalities are unique, beautiful and sometimes funny. Look in the mirror again, this time, no matter how hard it is I want you to find 10 things about yourself that you like.

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