Scenario 1: You look at yourself in the mirror and see something that you don’t like. Maybe its your hair, your eyes, your nose, your ears, or your chin. You wish you had Gisele Bundchen’s hair, Angelina Jolie’s lips, etc.

Scenario 2: You have an exam coming up and no matter how you try to understand that algebraic expression, you just cant! You wish you were like one of your classmates who can sleep through the entire lecture and still get a high score in class.

Scenario 3: You gained a little weight, and you feel (gasp!) fat.

I am sure, most of us can identify with the scenarios above. Its not easy being a woman, dealing with what society perceives to be normal. I have never met someone who did not have anything that they didn’t like about their body/face/skills/talent. I have been lucky though, to be blessed with women who are confident and sure of themselves even with their imperfections. I was lucky to be raised in an environment where we were taught that people come in different shapes and sizes, and that we are all beautiful.

This past week, however, I wasn’t feeling very confident. I had so many things to do, too many events to go to and on top of that, I was feeling bloated and fat. No amount of counter-reactions from other people could change how I was feeling about myself.

Then, as I was working on something on the internet, I saw this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It made me stop and think. I realized the reason why I was feeling insecure wasn’t because of other people, it wasn’t because of anyone, it was because of ME and my own perceptions. Too often, we blame other people because of our issues – body issues, issues with our looks, even issues with our intelligence. But in reality, its our own fault why we feel the way we do. I guess, just like what my mother always tells me, “Its all up to you, how you take it”.

So now, I am going to try and not think negative thoughts about myself. Its not going to be easy, because (as I am sure) we all see something in ourselves that we don’t like, but I will try.

-Nina