But first, Have Faith!
“Life doesn’t always look as rosy and beautiful as my IG posts, but it does get better by the day”
-Mdm. Lindadadaisy
I came across this inspirational phrase by one of the most reputable and respectful Cambodian women — a mother, a leader and a fighter — whose life is what everyone dreams of. Although I have been one of her followers for many months in a row, I am nowhere next to a fashionista or fashion-icon inspired and indeed not a fan of beautiful or high-class individuals in society. Just like everyone else, I try to reduce following those fashion icons who randomly post good photos of themselves everywhere, not because of jealousy, but more of self-consciousness. However, a birthday quote posted by Mdm. Linda on her Instagram few days ago gave me a different perspective.
Self-consciousness comes from everywhere. You can say “no, I never compare myself to anybody” or “I am perfect and I love being me” or “I am unique in my own way and there is no such thing as comparison in my life dictionary”. Well, if you say it from the bottom of your heart, I truly admire you — cuz it has always been what I dream of feeling.
We; especially females, tend to be more cautious about external comments and views. We see things in different perspectives from men do. We value little things — care, love, laugh and small details — and undeniably, we love being beautiful. Oftentimes, we never feel it’s enough. We want to be more beautiful than who are now, although we are so much better than who we were last year. We want to achieve more than we do now, although what we are having is considered privileged compared to other impoverished or underprivileged individuals who never have chance to showcase their talent. We say what we are doing now sparks so little interest in us, although some people out there might never experience one of the things we’ve accomplished so far.
They say it’s good to feel like a glass half of water, cuz you keep learning every day. They say it’s good to not feel proud of yourself in every way, cuz you will surely learn something new. They say it’s good to feel something should be fixed in your beauty standard, cuz that way you will become more and more beautiful. But the real question is: when will you be satisfied with yourself?
Looking back to Mdm. Linda, I am sure most people; including me, undoubtedly believe she is living the perfect life, but we fail to look at those factors behind the scenes of how far she has become, how many mountains she has claimed, how many people she has spoken on behalf of, how many sleepless nights she has encountered, so on and so forth, to make her who she is today.
She makes me realize one thing — life is not always about the destination, but the journey. It is not all about having beautiful face, perfect body shape, symmetric weight and height you dream of, because beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. It is not about the number of trophies you have on the desk because you need to enjoy each step taken to acquire those trophies. It is not about having many luxurious cars in your mansion when you don’t feel belong to your loved ones. It is all about do more, expect less and enjoy the journey, and more importantly, have faith in yourself.
