Get your swag on!!!

Ok! What I'm about to share is a little embarrassing but try not to laugh so hard at me.

Growing up for me wasn't so much fun especially in my adolescence. My family belonged to one of those religious institutions where a lady isn't allowed to adorn herself because her beauty is supposed to come from within. So, I wasn't allowed to wear earrings, necklace and any form of jewellery or accessories neither are you allowed to "dis-virgin" your hair or wear any form of hair attachment. Trousers were a taboo!!! You can understand why my adolescence was boring, i was a teenager dressed like a boring school teacher with nothing colourful about me. To crown it all, my parent didn't have a car back then so I trekked to school (School was actually not far from home but my class mates Dads or Mums used to drop them off at school) of course, I blamed my parents for not having a car.

This affected the way I related with people in school and I ended up not having friends outside my church circle because i felt i wasn't pretty enough and that the others were always laughing at me. I ended up having a damaged self esteem. Since I couldn't wear earrings or adorn myself like my classmates, I felt really ugly! I didn't fit in anywhere.

Looking back now, I can't help but laugh at my foolishness. I have grown from the 'ugly duckling' into a beautiful swan (my cousins always taunt me about that). I have learnt that we are not defined by our outward looks or our position in life. I have been able to reflect further on my church's position on outward adornment and even though they were trying to teach women this same lesson that i have learnt, the methodology employed is a dangerous one.

Often times, the people of authority in our lives in a bid to make us responsible people get it wrong and end up destroying our morales and leave us with no confidence in us at all. Some people grow up with the belief that they are dumb and stupid because their parents only used negative words on them, no words of affirmation at all. A friend once told me her parents always told her she was clumsy while her friends told her she was fat and constantly reminded her to shed some weight. She grew up believing she wasn't desirable and unlovable because she was fat and clumsy.

I have often observed that most of us think who we are is dependent on our position in life, the fancy clothes we wear, the beautiful countries we vacation in or the exquisite cars parked in our garages. While I agree that these things do give a good status in the society, they do not define us. You may be as beautiful as a peacock or in your opinion as ugly as a toad, you need to realize that is not who you are. Get that out of your head immediately. You have to rearrange your thoughts and philosophy to the realization that you are much more than you think.

Your innermost self is who you are and until you can relate with that innermost being and begin to see yourself through the eyes of your creator, you will never discover who you are and your purpose in life. As a matter of fact, riches, beauty or elegance does not make you happy or fulfilled, sure it can get you wherever you want to be in life but it can never help you discover your purpose. 

If you are out there and you have been made to feel or act laid-back because you aren't pretty enough or rich enough, put yourself out there and  socialize, you will be amazed what you have inside of you because your essence is right inside of you and not what people see. You will not know the extent of  your power until you get rid of your low self esteem and reach inside of you for the power God has deposited in you.Do not let anybody bring you down, always see yourself through the eyes of your creator. You are beautiful, courageous and powerful, do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

Remember, you are God's creation and "God looked down at everything he  created and behold! it was beautiful!!!" You've got swag in you, let people see that!!!