There’s a trend right now to quit using filters - embrace our (beautiful) realities & celebrate our (perfect) imperfections.
I’d typically alter my images
smooth out the uneven skin tone on my legs caused by scarring, & say something meaningless about my current fave pair of sunglasses. I had a terrible experience with laser hair removal & skin tightening a few years ago - burns & blisters that led to spotty pigment loss & splotchy scars - I’ve been self conscious about it ever since.
But you know what? That ends now. Nothing can be done to change the scarring, & really - it’s not that terribly noticeable. I’m still able to live the exact life I choose & dream of in every way - from daily workouts to walking miles & miles while exploring new places. This scarring is just a vanity thing, & who gets to define what beautiful is?
The answer is me. I define what beautiful is for myself. No one else. & my strong, capable legs (scarring & all!) are perfect. That is the narrative I will tell myself, instead of smoothing my images in apps. I’m blessed beyond measure & capable of great things … & that is not based on the “perfect” I’m comparing myself on Instagram.
So, Friends - let’s look at the things we dislike about ourselves & choose to see instead what we are capable of.