If you judge yourself only by your body, you reduce your focus to only the form side of yourself and completely ignore the substance within that form. What about the other parts of your personality? Don’t they matter too?
Real beauty is defined by who you are on the inside — your excitement for life, your concern for others, your joyful personality, and your friendliness toward others. All of these attributes make you who you truly are. They are the real you.
Here’s an interesting fact. Some people whose appearance is the opposite of the “ideal” are very happy, and some who look just like the “ideal” are unhappy. So is it really how perfect your body is that makes you feel good about yourself? Obviously not.
A French term applies here: jolie-laide, which means beautiful-ugly. This word describes people who don’t fit the typical portrayal of beautiful or handsome but who develop into being beautiful or handsome by the way they present themselves, by who they are on the inside.
Pay attention not only to your physical health but also to who you are as a person. You aren’t just your body. You’re so much more!
In your notebook, list at least 15 positive qualities you have outside of your physical body. Here are some topics to get you thinking:
How you relate to family members
How you relate to friends
Volunteer work you do for various organizations
How well you do at your job
What you do well as a parent
Sports you participate in or watch with friends or family
Artistic abilities — painting, sculpting, singing, dancing, acting, and so on
Natural talents and skills you either were born with or developed
These are the qualities that you need to focus on. Carry this list with you and look at it often so you concentrate on these aspects. And develop these characteristics fully to become the person with healthy self-esteem you desire to be.
