Discover Who You Are And Own It

In a superficial world where bodies are so heavily judged, we must discover that we are so much more than just our physical appearances. 

While browsing through the net the other day, I came across an interview with Priyanka Chopra, discussing her biography. She mentioned that she was asked by someone in the industry to get plastic surgery done in some areas of her body if she wanted success in her career. Although this is an accepted practice in our world, I couldn’t help but get startled by the fact that people still judge a book by its cover. There is so much more to a human being than their appearances.

There are videos trending on the net that focus on a person’s before and after pictures, which are 20 years apart. They focus mostly on how people’s looks have changed over the years. The judgements are cruel and demeaning if people look their real age and encouraging if they have the benefit of good genetics. I often wonder about how these posts forget to focus on the achievements or development of an individual in the light of their physical appearance. Personally, I do not exactly remember my grandparents on the basis of how they looked. I remember them on the basis of how their hugs felt, how my grandma’s cooking tasted and how the sunshine always seemed a little brighter in their home.

As time went on, I observed that there are people on this planet who look like who they are in their essence. The energy of their essence is so powerful that their looks gets overshadowed.

The late Anthony Bourdain was one such person. He never failed to amaze me just by his screen presence. I never bothered to Google how old he was because when you look at him, the essence was all you could feel, even through the TV screen. Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Barack Obama, Sudha Murty, APJ Abdul Kalam, Kylie Kwong, Paulo Coelho, Elizabeth Gilbert etc., are some of the people who, like Bourdain, have strong essences. I often think about what is it in them that makes them immune to people who scrutinise them on the basis of their bodies.

One day, while strolling in a mall with these thoughts in mind, I came across an open air shop. This shop sold extremely beautiful goods – the bust of Gautama Buddha carved out of hand, meaningful quotes hand painted on wooden frames, paintings and so on. Now every time I pass by a shop like this one, I feel a high. Unexplained feelings of peace, bliss and inspiration. Surprisingly, the moment I walk past the shop, the feeling goes.

I also get a similar high in quaint coffee shops which also house book stores so that people can read while sipping through their coffee concoctions. The smell of books blended with the strong scent of coffee elevates me to a state of unexplained euphoria.

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We need to figure out who we are at our core

I realise that these places evoke in me the essence that makes me, me – like how a gentle ray of sunshine reveals to the grass decorated with dew drops that it is one of the many reasons why the earth comes alive everyday. With this realisation I realise that people whose essence shines through their physical appearances are people who actually live a life true to who they are. They fan the flames that make their essence come alive. They have polished who they are so much that whatever remains in them is based on their essence. It’s not made of things like other people’s ideas and opinions. There is a passion burning in their heart so bright that they have personified this passion. They shine so bright that even today’s superficial society cannot help but feel the vibrations of ‘who they are’. Every one of us has something inside of us that makes us come alive. It might be something as simple as making pottery, trying science experiments, exploring the world or simply doodling.

Human forms are fleeting. How you define yourself as a baby is very different from when you grow up and much different when you reach old age. One cannot define oneself through appearances. Yes, it is of course good to look good and feel good. But what is more important is letting your soul become vibrant through you. As I understand it, this is the only sensible thing to do.

Why would anyone want to live a life where the heart goes one way and the human goes society’s way? Even animals have the wisdom of pursuing what makes them come alive. Look at a cat if you doubt me. Have you seen anyone more happier than a cat basking in the sun after lunch?

My question is this – have you ever asked yourself what makes you, you? And if you find that out, will you let the light shine through you?

Image Source: Canva

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