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I realized something today while I was shopping for makeup. 

I was looking at eyeshadow palettes and absorbing them one by one: “Ooh, these colors are nice! Ohh, these are pretty too. Hmmm, which one shall I choose?”

When I was younger, I used to simply buy what I liked. But later on, I realized I had a specific color of eyes and skin color, meaning that not every eyeshadow color I chose suited me.

First, I was viewing it from an “external” point of view. 

I looked at the colors but not at myself. 

So, although something looked great from the outside, it didn’t work for me. Later on, I learned more about color types and discovered I am “the autumn type” (green eyes, dark brown hair, yellow-ish skin), meaning I have specific colors that “work” for me.

As it turned out, I needed to learn to put my eyes on myself first.

Who am I? And what suits me best?

And while I was looking at the eyeshadow palettes, it hit me. This is how we have to look at everything for our inner growth and self-development.

Instead of looking with our physical senses or finding something pretty, we have to learn to look at ourselves first and then decide who we are and what works best.

It’s easy in this social media age to look at something externally with admiration—makeup, body, job, relationship, outfit, way of living, way of doing—and think, “Oh, I want that too.” But we’re a completely different person than the person we’re looking at, and what we’re seeing might suit the other, but not necessarily ourselves.

Don’t you see? 

Literally, see?

It’s time to turn our eyes around and look at ourselves. Instead of looking to the external and saying, “I want that too,” we must look internally first. What is it that makes you, you? Do you still want it then, too?

Only then can we find out what works best for ourselves and shine like no other. And the best thing is—we don’t need makeup for that.

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