Embracing naturality in April

Thursday, April 22 is Earth Day, a day to celebrate the Earth in its most natural state. This day usually consists of people advising others to better take care of the planet and how to do it.

Similar to how we honor the Earth, we should also use this time to honor ourselves in our most natural states.

I remember when my skin was in terrible condition, I felt like I couldn’t leave the house without wearing a full face of makeup. My skin is much better now, but I still have scars.

Now, though, I embrace my skin because it’s mine and the scars represent how it has healed. It reminds me of how far I’ve come and actually makes me feel more empowered and confident than when I wore makeup.

I also used to style my hair a lot, but I have come to embrace my natural curls because once again, they’re mine, and they make me who I am.

Instead of trying to change our features, why not find ways to enhance the ones we already have by showing them off more?

It’s hard to hone in on those natural features when we are constantly exposed to unrealistic beauty standards via the media.

Many celebrities, such as the Kardashians, shy away from showing their natural features because everyone praises them when their faces appear flawless in photoshop.

In addition to perfect faces free of any acne and skinny noses, there is still a great amount of pressure to have a tiny body.

While plus-sized models are being seen in the media much more nowadays than ever before, many feel insecure after spending just a few minutes on their Discover page on Instagram.

This is not only an issue with women but with men too. There are absolutely standards that men should be at least six feet tall and have abs.

We feel like we have to look a certain way in order to fit in. Some days, I love the way I look. Other days, I see an attractive person in public and wonder why I don’t look more like them.

We cannot beat ourselves up for being envious sometimes, but we have to remember to come back to reality, to Earth, and realize that beauty is entirely about who you are as a person.

How can your natural beauty shine through if it’s hidden under a facade of you trying to be more like other people?

The world can be a beautiful place. The Earth is a template, a palette, and we are all the colors that fill it up. When we hone in on who we are, we are our best selves, and that is one of the best possible ways to take care of the Earth.