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Being Comfortable in My Own Skin

By December 20, 2018 , ,


In high school, I was voted as “Most Academic”. It wasn’t something I was particularly proud of. Being “Most Academic” was akin to be labeled as nerdy, boring, and lame and who wants that?

I so wanted to be one of the “Popular Girls” in school, sought after and admired by everyone. Or so I thought. Until I started seeing the negative effects and pressures that came with being “popular” in school. You had to be pretty, you had to be skinny, you had to be fair-skinned, you had to wear makeup and dress a certain way. I didn’t fit into this category and the more I saw, the more I was put off by it. A lot of these girls in my school were decidedly unhappy beyond the cool persona they projected. Many suffered from eating disorders and made bad decisions to be cool and likeable. I was confused by this world where your looks and outward image was given more importance than how you are on the inside. I didn’t want any part of it and stuck to my close friends in high school, secure in myself as a person but filled with those adolescent doubts and uncertainties of how others beyond my inner circle viewed me. School can be a harsh place for early life lessons.
Over the years, beyond college and into adult life, I have come to learn that media and certain people or societies will try to put a certain pressure on how you should look and what you should be. I'll admit, I have never really agonized over my body image and physical self. Rather, it's been more about my persona. I went on a long journey to earn my PhD s in the field of cancer research. I was "Dr Richa Tiwari" but somehow, even after years of legitimate hard work to get there, I felt weird referring to myself as that and would always downplay my achievement. What if someone thought I was too geeky to relate to? When I started blogging and exploring my interest in fashion, then too I struggled with presenting what might be seen as a frivolous side of me. What if people thought I was superficial?

Maybe it was all in my head. I've always felt proud of who I am. I never thought I was nerdy or superficial but felt self-conscious that others did. It's taken me a while to accept and be comfortable with presenting the different facets of myself without the inhibitions. A scientific, data-crunching thinker and a creative being who loves ideas, writing and fashion...Why can't I be both or whatever I want? Don't let others' inside or outside perception of you lead you down a path of self-doubt or insecurity. Believe me, life is easier when you are comfortable in your own skin, inside and out. So just own it!

Note: This article was first published as a guest post on Styling Redefine for the #IAmMoreThanMyBody series. It has been re-posted here with some edits. 

Dress by BYSI | Clutch from India | Shoes from Charles & Keith

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