We Do It Everywhere!

We all do it! Young, old and middle aged. We do it as soon as we wake up, during the day, in the bathroom, in our rooms, at work, in the car or wherever there is good lighting! What is the “IT” I am talking about? Relax, I am talking about us being guilty of taking selfies! DUH! Even if you have never posted the selfie, you know that you have taken one! And why not take a selfie? Your outfit is on fleek and your hair is layed and your face has been beat by the gods! But there is one problem, no one is around to take your picture. So what do you do? TAKE A SELFIE! AND, if that wasn’t enough you add a filter and give it a cute caption like: “No Caption Needed.”

I am not mad at you honey! You are cute! You are all that and a bag of chips with a soda on the side. (Did that make you feel good reading that? Well, it’s true, but let me bring you back down to earth for a moment.) You see, I have nothing wrong with selfies! I take them quite often (@CheriseStyles). Why? Sometimes I am having a good hair day and I have to capture that rare moment in time. Other times I’m bored, there is good lighting, my makeup is really nice OR I have no one to take my picture, so I do it myself. There are several reasons as to why one takes a selfie. The reason for a selfie is not important. The person behind, or in this case, in front of the selfie IS!

So what are you saying Cherise? Glad you asked. Simply put: Don’t lose yourself in your selfie!

Girls are famous for altering their selfies to enhance or reduce their already beautiful bodies. They make their boobs and butt bigger, they slim down their stomachs and thighs so they can get likes on a post! Why do girls do this? I believe it’s because they lack confidence and self-esteem. They find their self-worth and confidence in social media (Facebook and Instagram) and in the amount of likes they get. The more likes, the higher their confidence. The lower the likes the lower they feel about themselves and their looks.

I don’t want you to fall into this trap! I need you to realize that you are more than your selfie, your altered picture or the likes you get. You are a princess, a beautiful young lady who has a personality and a mind of her own. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! You don’t need likes by people you don’t know OR like to make you feel like someone important! You know who you are! Why try to impress people who don’t care about you? Impress yourself by loving YOURSELF and NOT YOUR SELFIE. Slowly stop using filters and editing apps to make yourself look different and start complimenting who you are. What good is a confident looking selfie when in real life you are insecure about who you are and how you look? Don’t just look the part, be the part. Don’t “look confident” BE CONFIDENT!

First, Accept who you are!  ALL OF YOU, even the parts of you that you consider flaws. Love them and embrace them (be honest with yourself).

Next, think about who you are and who you want to be, NOT what others think and NOT who others want you to be. Make sure you follow Gods lead and be who God wants you to be. If you are outspoken with bright ideas, then don’t keep quiet because of what other people think or say. If you are naturally skinny or thick don’t try to altar your bodies in a way that is acceptable to society. Accept yourself first! True confidence is sexy and you don’t need a filter for that!

This is a process and it will take some time for you to truly love and accept yourself. Selfies are cute and all, but make sure you love, accept and are honest to the SELF that you are posting.
 
XOXO,

Cherise

“Don’t forget your confidence.”

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