“Please click this image once more; I don’t like my left profile.” We believe that at some point in our lives, we have all said something similar to someone. In our rush to capture the ideal “Instagram-worthy photo,” we often fail to see how quickly we let some aspects of ourselves go. The actress Vidya Balan acknowledges having experienced this epiphany and has a poignant message for all those who are self-conscious. She has now learned to just be herself after years of being scrutinized by the media and critiqued for her appearance and what she wears. She has made the decision to accept herself and embrace all of her aspects with equal aplomb rather than striving to fit the bill.
Recently, Vidya Balan shared a brief but crucial occurrence on social media that made her think about the importance of body acceptance and self-love.
She was at an event when a girl approached her and asked respectfully if she would take her picture. “Galat side se liya, main achi nahi lag rahi, yeh post nahi kar paungi,” the girl said as she hurried back for another photo moments later.
The child chased the actress through the crowd to her car because she was so determined to have the ideal photo with her. Vidya gave in to her never-ending demands, but it brought back memories of her earlier struggles with her body and her “profile”.
We are forced to compete in this “looking flawless” race due to today’s artificial beauty standards and the pressure of social media.
We have all, in one way or another, fallen prey to the pressure to conform to society’s standards of beauty by hiding aspects of ourselves that don’t meet them.
“You know I’ve always favored my left profile over my right,” Vidya added as she described her personal career. “The fact is that I didn’t just enjoy my left profile; I actually loathed my right profile. But over time, as I began this path of trying to love and accept myself a little bit more each day, I understood that preferring one profile meant liking one part of myself to the exclusion of the other.”
Isn’t it true for each and every one of us? When we realize that the world has seen some aspects of ourselves that don’t seem nearly flawless, panic instantly sets in.
Vidya, however, has learned to love and embrace every aspect of herself, including all of her flaws and defects. She published an unaltered photo of herself without makeup, proudly displaying both of her profiles. It undoubtedly indicates that she no longer gives a damn about the shooting angles and now finds herself to be more attractive and self-assured.
Source: health shots
