I wanted this article to be appropriate for new beginnings, something that talks about us, our image in the eyes of ourselves and others.
Watched English Vinglish yesterday, it was long pending, and I for one, don’t like watching movies at home. But am so glad my hubby forced me to, it’s a fabulous movie. It’s a journey actually that many women are going through or should go through. It’s a journey of a woman were she wants to do something for herself, for her self esteem.
Our Self Image
Today I thought I’ll discuss ‘Self Image’ and how having the right one can affect us. So what is a self image?
For many of us self image is what others think about us, or what we think others think about us. Sadly, it has no relevance of how actually we are or we feel, it has no relevance of what we achieved in life. Unfortunately, this is not what self image should be all about.
Some years back, while Chanda Kocchar, Naina Lal Kidwani and many like her were studying, working and moving up the ladder , there were so many more whose education or capability to do anything (besides cooking and cleaning) in life was questioned. For my grandma, when she hears that I have to travel for workshops, leaving my three year old son with my husband, her first query is how will the family manage without me?
This is how they were brought up, the way we are raised. Women don’t realize their importance, their value, their role in the society. Every now and then we have self doubts. Women who are homemakers don’t feel the worth in the work they do on daily basis. Oh, my mother feels I am a bad cook, but am I? My mother in law feels I don’t keep the house clean, is it? My kids feel I don’t understand, c’mon I have been your age.
What Others Say About Us, Is That True?
This is self image, which is what we see from the eyes of others. We see how incompetent we are as daughters, mothers, homemakers, but are these true?
What are true are us, what we think about ourselves.
Someone has rightly said, ‘Sometimes people don’t notice the things we do for them, until we stop doing them.’ Our self image should be a mirror to our thoughts. If you don’t respect yourselves, if you don’t love yourselves, if you don’t follow a passion, you will be everything that others want you to be, but yourself.
Men have been successful so far, business houses, entertainment houses, top chef, etc., and you know why? It’s because they had a mother or a wife who said, ‘Go pursue your dreams, I will take care of the rest of things in your life.’ Now it is their turn, but you, as a woman, have to ask for it.
Love Yourself, and Dress To Kill
Taking care of the family, being there for them, loving them, all of these are secondary to being yourself. Invest in yourself.
You have to be confident; you have to have that zest to do something. Family always comes first, but you need to have that little space for yourself. Pursue a hobby, pursue a dream, do something just for yourself.
When this self image is positive you feel positive about your physical body. Try and appreciate your body. Highlight the part of body that you are proud of and camouflage the variation.
Dress smartly and wisely. Our image depends on how we are groomed. If you keep on feeling you don’t look good or you don’t dress smart, the other will sense your dip in confidence. This New Year, take a pledge to not be a part of fashion trend. Instead try using the trend and styles that suit your body, roles and goals in life. Read about Your Wardrobe Basics and get stuff which will be foundation of your wardrobe.
This New Year, redefine your image, redefine yourself. And teach your son and daughter to love them as they are.
