Colbie Caillat's new music video "Try" may have only graced the internet a week ago but it had already garnered close to 10 million views. This video stemmed out from the singer's exasperation of being photoshopped and being picture-perfect every single time she does something. In just a short amount of time, many have already drawn truth and inspiration from this music video, including me. Maybe because it cuts right through us in the barest way possible. It is so true and its trueness and, at the same time, twisted-ness knock us over.
In this world where we are being majorly judged by our looks before our personality, talents and mind, many of us spend our whole life trying so hard to achieve that "archetypal" form of beauty the magazines, the television and the world dictate to our fragile minds. And on what expense? Just so we get the acceptance by those people who might not like us still even after we break our core, our soul and our principles in the process. I am not against the beautification of oneself because it is necessary most of the time, but if you build your foundation on it alone, you will be unstable. Doubts, undervaluation and self-pity will surface again and again until you crumble down and lose your sense of self. Why? Because it is based and founded on an external factor, and anything external, our money, title, jobs, power and looks, come and go.
I have my own share of lapses, too, if you may ask. No one will ever be safe from the bad influences and prying eyes of the world. It will just be up to us to stand strong beside our principles and not get swayed by what the world deems to be the norm and what the world would like you to become. Instead of focusing on our looks alone and trying to look like everybody else, let us do our best to nourish our thoughts, experiences and relationships too. Let us build our core being and be acquainted with our truest sense of self; that YOU that resides within and remains when all the external factors had been peeled off.
Looking good had never became a means to an end, but it emanates rather effortlessly from living a life full of purpose, inspiration, contentment, awe and appreciation; all that makeup then will just be icing on the cake. Looking good always starts with feeling good about yourself. And if you like you, if you are happy with the image staring back at you in the mirror, others will pick up on that. As you embrace yourself and become more appreciative of the world, you will also become more appreciative of the people around you which will in turn make them feel great, as well. What will follow then are ripples of what you started.
