Be-U-tiful

I live in the beautiful city (minus the unpredictable weather though) of Portharcourt, so recently I got together with some friends and we hit the town, as part of our Saturday ritual. At this great store, I came across a book with the title “be-U-tiful” and we all thought it was super cool and uber-inspiring. I eventually didn’t buy the book though (I know, my bad) because I had to make a choice between the book and a beautiful brown gladiator sandals, (need I say more?)

I totally forgot about the book and its title until a few days later. I was sitting in a city bus (yes I don’t have a car….yet) next to this really stunning young woman with a bubbly personality. We got talking (of course) and she seemed amazing and really smart. She knew a bit about a lot of things and she was beautiful in an “au nautrel” way. I was this/close to getting her number to maybe see her later, but then she got to her bus stop and wanted to alight and that was when I got my biggest shock in recent times….she was practically crippled that she had to almost crawl to get around and I was rendered speechless.

Where am I going with this you may ask? (Patience dear). It suddenly hit me, if in that her “situation” she could still have such a pleasant disposition and cheerful personality, then what’s my excuse or yours not to be grateful (aha…gotcha). If my new friend was constantly depressed and angry at the world, it would be understandable considering her physical challenges, yet she is not. She comes across like someone who is grateful, even if it’s just for the gift of life. So the big question to the rest of us without these challenges is, why can’t we love ourselves?

Not me you say? Well then work with me a little, now will you. How many times have you stood in front of your mirror and pictured yourself with a straighter nose, or wished you had bigger breasts or longer legs….the list is endless, but the truth is that we have to love ourselves regardless of our physical deficiencies. I once heard a top cosmetic surgeon say that many of the “issues” we try to sort out with the knife are largely psychological and should be dealt with from within.

So once again I remembered the book be-U-tiful (now I was kicking myself for not buying it) and realized that it is simply trying to say that beauty is about being “U’, loving “U” and being comfortable in your own skin. Most of the time, we are the ones who draw attention to our “deficiencies”.

So what’s my final point, make up your mind to love your body and yourself totally and be grateful to God for the great gift of your body, no matter how it is.Remember the words of Christina Aguilera “you are beautiful in every single way, words can’t bring you down”

WRITTEN BY FRANKLYNE IKEDIASOR

Franklyne Ikediasor is in his early 20s, loves travelling, shopping and getting together with friends to share bouts of wine fuelled laughter. He hates traffic and saying goodbyes and often wishes he could be mistaken for Tyson Beckford.