Mirrors and Media

It's been quite a bit of time since I've visited this space. New jobs, a new university, and a relative in the hospital have kept me away from any non-work-related writing, but I'm excited to be back today to share a few thoughts that have been helpful in battling the demons of anxiety and anorexia.

Image found on Her Campus

A few weeks ago, I experienced a (rather frightening) flash of reality when I watched a news clip about the dangerous side of the "K-Beauty" industry. Plastic surgery is in huge demand in South Korea, with Seoul considered to be the plastic surgery capital of the world, and among the most in-demand surgeries are double eyelid surgery and nose jobs.  Now, I'm not criticizing anyone who has had any of these (or any other) cosmetic procedures, but it does break my heart a bit to think that roughly 1/3 of young South Korean women have felt the need to alter their faces in order to be beautiful. (And I'm terrified by the fact that the walls of the Seoul metro station are covered in plastic surgery advertisements.)

Being part Chinese, I'm very aware of how difficult it can be to "live up to" some of the Asian beauty standards, and the shock and sadness that I experienced when learning about the popularity (and risks) of plastic surgery for so many people throughout South Korea made me think more seriously about every country's beauty standards and how unrealistic they are (ex. U.S. ideal of supermodel/fitness model with million dollar legs wearing skinny jeans and a white t-shirt).

We're surrounded by media influences. Phones. Televisions. Websites. Movies. Magazines. Whenever I take an objective look at life and realize how much time we spend exposed to advertising and (very edited) images, I question the sanity of the world. That said, though, I question my own sanity even more because I'm often very sucked into the "look this way, feel good" messaging we're inundated with. I know that what's really important is inside.

The soul.

The spirit.

The dreams that wake you up and make you feel inspired to do something more with your life.

But none of these things are glamorized the way that a "perfect" body is. Why can't average or easy be okay? Why do we need to recreate ourselves into something "better"?

Here's the answer: we don't need to. In fact, all we ever "need" to do is be kind. Kindness towards ourselves and others is the answer, and it always has been. Kindness is respecting your body and the bodies of others. Kindness is nourishing yourself properly. Kindness is getting sleep when you need it but also letting yourself stay up just a little too late to celebrate a friend's birthday. Kindness is getting vegetables but also baking muffins with your mum. Kindness is realizing that your world doesn't have to revolve around macros or calories in order for you to feel good.

"I believe we all have the opportunity to stand up as women in our ordinary everyday lives. I believe that we all have the power to replace hate with justice, open-heartedness and kindness. This doesn't have to be a seismic change that we all have to learn. I believe we, as humans, (gender aside for a moment) have the opportunity to combat hate because of the way we behave towards one another. Not just during seminal moments, but during our everyday, ordinary ones too.I believe we can start with kindness."-Emilia Clarke

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