How to love yourself wholly and challenge the socially-accepted standards of beauty

Melissa Butler, an entrepreneur who started a cosmetic company with the aim of changing the idea of beauty, says she faced a lot of criticism for her looks, and fought to bring about a change in the way beauty is perceived.

After listening to derogatory remarks about her body, she said “it taught [her] a valuable lesson”. “It taught me how to love myself wholly, and more importantly, it taught me how to never allow someone else’s opinion of me to determine my value.”

She believes when it comes to beauty, ‘fair skin’ and ‘perfect bodies’ are the yardsticks of attractiveness. “We look at beautiful people and we think, ‘Man, they have it all. They’re rich, they’re in love, they’re happy, they’re successful and I could have that, too, if I just had… if I just changed…’ We start to think we’re not enough. That causes us to stifle opportunities for ourselves, because we feel as though we don’t belong and that we don’t deserve,” she said.

She encouraged people to look at the mirror and accept the way they are. “See all of you, look at all of your greatness that you embody, accept it, and love it. When you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you.”

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