I’ve built a large walk-in wardrobe here, folks, and it is all on its way out.

Hello beautiful! Whoa—no need to look around for whom I am calling out to. I am talking to you. Yes, you!

Go on, try it on for size, this exquisite garment called “I am beauty-full.”

I see you hesitate, and I do understand. Strange as it is, I know how hard it can be to let go of those old fashion trends of doubt, comparison, and self-loathing.

Like me, you may wonder what people will think of you if you really claim your inner-beauty? Will you be misunderstood and judged to be self-absorbed, arrogant, or narcissistic?

Perhaps so. And perhaps we also know too well what happened to Joseph when he began sharing his inner vision, and then topped it off by putting on his techni-color dreamcoat as a reflection of how beautiful he felt inside. It turned out pretty amazing for him in the end as a visionary ruler of Egypt—second only to Pharaoh. But that was after being shoved into a pit by his brothers to die, sold into slavery, and sentenced to rot in an Egyptian prison cell.

The fact is, our teachers and leaders who have really let their light shine in the past have often been persecuted for just that.

Since honesty leads to truth, I am going to fess up (and possibly make it easier for another to do so). In my life I have spent years trying to pick out clothing, jewelry, hairstyles and makeup that I thought would “make” me beautiful. I have looked to other women whom I valued as more beautiful than myself—in magazines, movies and just around town—then tried to figure out what they had done to their appearance that I could borrow, try and join their ranks amongst the most beautiful.

This pattern of looking outside of me to guide what is beautiful or not has had its punishments and rewards. Even when I felt that I was successful at looking beautiful, it was not truly a reward. It was frequently in comparison to and separation from others, and superficial—as it did not reflect a deep sense of knowing that beauty within myself.

Crazy, I know, but honest, and sadly common. So often in the past have I heard my friends call themselves ugly, call another person ugly, suggest a shopping spree to fix a lack of self-worth, or wear clothes that are clearly not comfortable, just to impress or fit in. All of these are symptoms of the disease of trying to make ourselves beautiful by looking to the outside. References to this false possibility of a source outside of yourself that will make you beautiful are rampant in our advertising and media. The societal pressure to do just that is undeniable and detrimental to us all.

So I am leaving all of that behind me now. I have turned my attention inward and found that the beauty I feel within myself is grand, delicious, totally joyful and playful—what I have always been seeking. It is simply who I am.

Now that I can feel that in me, I can see it clearly in you. It is equal in us all. Period.

I am now choosing clothing, jewelry, hair styles and makeup with the intention of being more self-loving, of confirming the beauty that I am—not making it. So at the risk of persecution and excommunication for showing the bright light of our truth, I am done with my worn-out, worthless wardrobe of “not-enough-ness.”

I have been willing to try on far too many of these false little numbers such as “I am too thin, too fat, too short, not smart enough, not charming enough, not pretty enough, not clever enough, not rich enough, not successful enough, not popular enough.” Shall I go on?

I’ve built a large walk-in wardrobe here, folks, and it is all on its way out.

Every day, I wake and remind myself to try on “I am beautiful, I am love” for size. Then I go out in the world and choose to recognize and witness the amazing beauty of every single person I meet. It is a choice, so go on, and try it on yourself.

The secret is, you have always been wearing it. Shed those garments that vainly try to cover the magnificence of who you truly are. You are undoubtedly beautiful.

Love is the new black, people. Try it on for a change.

Deborah Savran is a freelance writer, naturopath and integrative bodyworker. Her trailblazing approach to healing is all about guiding people to trust the wisdom of their bodies so that they may reconnect to the radical beauty and truth within. You can follow at her website.

 

 

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Assistant Ed: Josie Huang/Ed: Kate Bartolotta

photo by: chantelbeam