Hi,

Have you ever woke up to a beautiful sunrise, where the sun rising up in blood orange in the multi-coloured nest of the clouds, and the birds twittering feels like saying, ‘Good Morning‘! The weather is neither too summer nor too winter, it is cold but slightly warm, and the air.. the atmosphere is so refreshing. And looking at all of this makes you call it a perfect morning. 

However, there can be another person who slept late while binge-watching a TV series, and is annoyed by the morning sunlight, irritated by birds sound, frustrated that why the AC is not cooling or who turned off the fan, and indirectly begs for mercy as it is a Monday “Imperfect” morning! 

That perfection is a natural beauty. And as it is beautifully said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the Beholder“, so all those pretty perfection things you were watching, and admiring, was only because of how you were looking at it. That perfect natural beauty is created by the almighty. The same almighty that created you, us, the humans. Do you look at yourself with those same eyes, and admire the beauty? 

Do you look at the mirror, watching all those scars, marks or temporary blisters, and tell yourself you’re beautiful? Do you look at your fellow humans and call them perfect and beautiful, and not comment anything bad about their height, colour, weight, figure, looks, voice, hair, face, teeth, ears, nose, hips, or any other body part, and just call them perfect?

The reality is the answer to all those questions, No! And if there was not even a single ‘No’ for all those questions, then I would really like to meet you, the perfect person! We don’t look at us with the same eyes, with which we see nature. Our vision is tainted by the norms of society. We start believing that the definition of beauty is as defined by the beauty cream commercials, We start believing that being too short or too tall is an imperfection. We feel like the scar marks from an injury and disease has ruined our beauty, and no one will accept us for being who we are, no matter we are responsible for them or not. And not just others, we ourselves are also the same. 

We gaze at someone with scars/marks on the body as if they are maybe someone suffering from a disease and should be isolated, and mostly in fear as if they may get infected. We hardly care about the emotional battle someone else may be fighting for long, going through treatments and chemicals, so they can get better and become a part of such a society that scrutinizes the people of their looks and not the character. 

As a result of all this, there is only one winner, the Cosmetic Industry or the Psedu-Beauty Industry. Let’s have a look at the growth of these industries between the 2019 and 2025 projections. Cosmetics growing with a rate of 32%, Skin Care at 24.3%, Personal Care at 18.7% and Fragrances at 13.7%. The data clearly shows how the demand is increasing. And when there is a demand, which is increasing, more and more people have started to become a part of the industry launching their own start-ups making soaps, creams and everything, and the latest in the trend, calling them “Naturals”. You can find more details here.

The problem is not these beauty products, but the problem is the perception that they are creating in this world. The perception that only the particular height range, specific weight and figure, spotless and clear skin, fairness, and what they call a perfect look is only beautiful! Everyone has their own say, and people can do as they may, but to believe in something that others are saying or not is up to you. If you believe that only that definition is correct, then did the Lord Jesus have 6-8 pack abs? Was Lord Krishna fair? Did the Goddess Durga have clear spotless skin? Was any of the almighty a perfect with the definition of modern beauty industries? 

Nobody is perfect, and can never be! We need to accept it, and we need to accept it not for ourselves but also for others. All this so-called beauty and perfect body will go over time and the only thing that will stay is the character and the intellect. These also can not be perfect, but at least they are not spoiled by any commercial definition. So if you really want to scrutinize someone, do it on the basis of their knowledge or the hunger to grow better, or their desire to make this world a better place, not for how they look! 

Just want to update what I just said, “Nobody is perfect, and can never be, but we all are created perfectly by the almighty – one way or the other!”. Maybe by the commercial definition, someone is not beautiful but has an amazing intellect. Maybe someone doesn’t have a perfect height and shape but has a brilliant mind. Maybe someone is overweight or underweight of some problem but have the ability to keep people happy. Maybe someone is not perfect to what society is saying but works for the betterment of the same society. We need these people. 

What happens when you find yourself imperfect while looking at the mirror? Your confidence is devasted, your belief is ruined, your mood is spoiled, your dopamine levels are dropped, and your adrenaline and cortisol level increases, in other words, your happiness level drops and your anger levels are increased. You start to irritate and develop a cranky face for the rest of the day. And just imagine, you fight all of this and still manage to cheer yourself up, then someone comes at the front and comments about it, or bully it. Your whole confidence and mood are again shattered into pieces. 

What can we do? Well, it depends on you, if you want to believe in the terms of commercial definition, work in that direction, or accept who you are and not let any of the looks affect your mental well being. If you start believing in yourself and accept your imperfections as your beauty, or in fact, your identity, you will not be bothered by what others are saying. Do you know why? Because they are also imperfect in some way. And if they are just commenting on your looks, the first imperfect thing is their mind itself. So you just don’t need to get yourself affected or fight back in anger, just give them a pretty smile thinking of what good is that body or looks if all they have is that mind or belief! 

Cheers!
– Navneet