Is beauty only for a lucky few?

Aahan. Quite a controversial topic? When I had started this blog, I thought that I would always write my blogs a week in advance, so that there is no pressure in the last few days. Because you know, creativity doesn’t always strike when you want it to. I’ve been breaking that discipline for the last few weeks and looking to get back on track from the next week now. Thank you to all of you who come back to read my blogs every week and leave your comments. Apart from sharing my perspectives, it gives me immense pleasure that I’m able to spark new thoughts and when you come back and share your thoughts about what I wrote, whether in the blog comments or privately, I absolutely love it. So thank you :)

Coming to the topic. Like I was saying, probably a controversial topic, but I’d like to talk about this. And to start with, I want to put this out that I believe in inner beauty more than physical beauty. However, this article is about the latter. So I won’t be turning this into a philosophical write-up about which of the two is more important. 

I read these words somewhere said by this amazing man, Giorgio Armani. Recognise him? :)

“A well-maintained physique is a great business card. Ideas and intelligence are what matters, but if you have a well-maintained physique, it’s better. People are always more willing when it comes to beauty; there’s not much to be done about it. It’s a classic ideal: healthy mind, healthy body. And, at least for me: discipline. Keeping the body in shape requires effort. It’s the antidote to laziness, which is what I hate most of all. And it is an antidote against the passage of time.”

Did you have that fuzzy feeling inside you that I had when I read this? Pure marvel. This man is a gem.

How do we ignore this so easily? How do we come to this inference that physical beauty is not important? That it doesn’t matter? Maybe, we find it convenient because we don’t want to put in the effort, or acknowledge the effort of others who are doing it.

Who you are as a person, what you do on a daily basis, how you treat people, what you talk about and how you talk about it are all important. They will get you very far in life. But how you look takes you those extra miles. Quicker. And probably with lesser effort.

Now there are many components to this: your features; your physique; skin and hair; and how you dress to name some I can think of.

I’ll start with features - I don’t think you can do anything about that - except plastic surgery. There was a time when I wanted to get plastic surgery done on my nose XD

But well, I thought let it be.

Coming to the physique, I think Giorgio put this into perspective in his words. This is something that you CAN control. Choose to work on it. Choose to take out time. Choose to wake up everyday and exercise. Choose to push yourself. This is hard. It requires a crazy level of discipline. But you can change this. 

You can become more muscular. You can become leaner. You can lose or gain weight. You can work on that flat stomach. You can achieve a great physique. This is in your hands. Everyday you want a great body and don’t work towards it is a choice that you make. And frankly, I don’t remember I’ve seen anybody with a great physique who wasn’t attractive. Exercising adds another dimension to your personality. It brings out the best in you. Choosing to exercise everyday is one of the best forms of self-love.

Next up - your skin and hair. I think this is where things get a little interesting. I know many people who are blessed with great skin and hair. It’s just there, genetically maybe. And everybody who doesn’t have it, will probably never cease to feel jealous :D and that’s okay. 

But I think this is also just like physique, it’s not out of your control. For as many people I know that are blessed with this, I know more people who make extra effort to take care of their skin and hair everyday. 

And this is what I want to tell you. 

It requires effort; it is not impossible. Understand your problems and find solutions, whether online or from experts. There are SO MANY homemade remedies available online. Have pimples? Find a herbal mask or invest in that cream. Have dry hair? Find a good hair mask for yourself and apply it. Choose to look for the solutions, spend time on them. Almost all beautiful people have their own morning and night routines that they follow every single day to care for and groom themselves. And that is what brings them results. You have to understand that it is possible, and then choose to give your time to it. Experiment with various things and learn what works best for you. Then repeat it. Every single day.

And lastly - how you dress. I think this is fairly easy and straightforward. Only advice - it matters. Don’t ignore it. How you dress speaks volumes about you. Wear something that enhances and brings out your personality. Wear something that you are comfortable in. Wear something so you like what you see when you look in the mirror. Experiment with what you wear every once in a while. 

Mark Zuckerberg might choose to wear the same tee and jeans everyday to save time and mental effort. But he does look better in a tux.

The overall point I’m trying to make here is that it is all in your control. Sure, the person who naturally has a great body, skin and hair is lucky. Definitely. But if you are not, you have to work towards it. 

This is true for all aspects of life. Some people are naturally good with maths. Others have to put in extra effort to get there.

Some people are naturally good with organising. Others have to put conscious effort.

Some people are natural leaders. Others have to give their time to it.

Some people are naturally great with relationships. Others have to make an effort.

That’s just how life is. You will always be good at some things and not at others. Everybody has some blessings in life. Recognise them. Be grateful for them, and understand how you can use them to make your life better.

However, most certainly, they will never be enough to get you further in life. For everything else, you have to put in conscious effort. You have to recognise the different aspects of your life that require work. And make a choice whether to prioritise it or not.

A lot of people don’t prioritise beauty in their lives. They choose to give that extra time to their professional lives, their families, their hobbies, and other things. Which is absolutely fine. 

Ultimately, your life is a balance of priorities. You are making choices everyday. All I am pushing you for is to make these choices consciously. Understand the price you pay for each choice that you make (or don’t make). Every hour that you spend on social media, you could have been working out. Every extra hour that you spend in your office, you could have taken up a beauty care routine. Every hour that you spend on netflix, you could have instead gone for a run.

Beauty is not only for a lucky few. It is also for you, if you feel it’s important enough to give your time to.

Spending time on this is another form of self-care and self-love. It enhances your confidence, brings out your true personality and also makes you happier! 

Before I end this, I want to mention something additionally. This article is for most people who are not suffering from any kind of disorders that makes this out of their control. If you are suffering from thyroid problems, clinical obesity, anorexia or other such ailments, please remember that my heart is with you. Same goes for people who have had accidents in life that might have left permanent scars. Or if you’re just naturally shorter or taller than you might like. Or if you have some birthmarks you don’t like.. I hope you will accept the cards you’ve been dealt and make the best out of it. Please take care of yourselves, eat healthy and take expert advice for whatever you can do to get closer to how you see beauty. I hope you will find the strength and honesty to wake up and love yourself everyday. 

Lots of love to each one of you. Make conscious choices <3

Jai Jinendra.