“Us women, need to see our worth without the approval of anyone. Our worth is not measurable by the clothes we wear, the shape of our body, how beautiful we are or what others think of us. Know your worth and the rest of the world will.”

If I asked you right now, how much you like yourself or what is it that you like best about yourself, what would be your answer? Would you agree with me, if I told you that you are beautiful and you are enough, just the way you are? Aren’t we our own worse critic? Or another women’s worse critic. We focus more on our own shortcomings and yet look for all the good qualities in others.

I have been my own worse critic. When I look at the mirror, I have seen an unshapely woman who lacks confidence, one whose belly is too big to wear a nice fitting dress and one who is afraid to wear anything that will show the cellulite on her thighs. Physical qualities that makes me, uniquely me…

“A caring heart, an independent mind, confidence from within and eyes that see the beauty in others…these make a woman beautiful.”

I have been others worse critic as well. A jealous critic. You know the one who compares herself to others. She looks happier, younger, more athletic (or shapely) and so on…qualities that we see in others so easily but couldn’t find the nerve to accept that we too, have it in us. We are so busy admiring others and putting our self down, that we don’t see how beautiful of a human being we are. Have you told yourself that? That you are a beautiful human being.

You are Beautiful. You are Enough.

“A woman who see the beauty in others and acknowledges her own. We need to be that kind of woman.”

As I get older, I learn to accept and love everything in my body, you know the ones that once I considered to be flaws. I stopped comparing myself to others. When I look at myself, I see someone who has accomplished things the best that she knows how.  I see someone strong enough to love herself, not in spite of – but rather, because of all that she is. And when I look at another woman. I see her beauty. I admire her strength. I celebrate her accomplishments. I see me.

“Strong women accept, celebrate and praise others as much as she celebrates herself. Let us teach our daughters how to be one.”

*** This post was originally published April 2016 @ Pondered Thoughts.***