We have been taught in a young age through media and magazines that if we are not in a certain color size or shape, no one will like us. If we want to be anything we have to have good looks, regardless of our intelligence. I think it has rather become even worse nowadays, when children at a very young age are so obsessed about their looks and clothing. The media promotes that if you don`t have the right looks, you won`t succeed at all.
Good people are always beautiful
It is not the physical appearance of a person that tells us whether a person is good or not. It is the character. If you meet someone with good looks but cruel of nature, would you like that person? On the other hand, if you meet someone whom is of average looks, but is so easy to talk with and makes you feel comfortable, would you have liked that person? I guess, looks matters only for the first impression, but it doesn`t tell you the truth. Beautiful people aren`t always nice, but nice people regardless of their looks, are always beautiful. Their character shines through their good behaviour.
There is so much more to friendship
When we put a standard of whom we are going to interact with based on the looks of people, we can easily come into a circle of friends that may look great beside you, but are they good, trustable, supportive friends? We cannot make that judgement on those criteria. It is so much more to friendship than that.
Status higher than angels
Why do girls wear make-up? When they feel good about themselves, are happy or because they think they aren`t good enough, compared to others? When do we use perfume? When we are fresh or when we want to hide a foul smell? If we feel good about ourselves regardless of our looks, we will spread good thoughts into the community. If we always feel inadequate because the media or our surrounding tells us that we aren`t good according to their standards, that could break us down, and make us feel quite low. The only way to feel good about oneself, is to develop self-esteem that tells us that we are irreplaceable, one of a kind, a creation of Allah that can achieve a higher status than angels.
What makes you feel beautiful?
We usually feel good when we do good deeds, and bad when we do bad deeds. If we keep giving ourselves positive self-talk about the good that we do, we would increase our feeling of self-esteem. When people feel good about themselves, they don`t need validation from outside. So they don`t need to dress to impress, but they`ll rather dress in a modest way, because they will feel beautiful from the inside. It`s something else to look beautiful and something else to feel beautiful. When we are good and spread goodness, we feel good about ourselves. Not necessarily because we get a good feedback from our surroundings, but because we have realized that if we do what Allah wants us to do, He will be satisfied with us, and there is no better achievement than that. If we do something that angers Allah, His wrath may descend on us and that will make us feel bad and anxious.
Our teachers are a inspiration
Everyone one of us has a talent in us. It is up to us, our teachers/leaders to cultivate it, and inspire us and motivate us to let it grow and utilize it for our own benefit and for the benefit of the society. We need to teach the children that beauty is not mere looks, but good character. If we help our children/youth increase their self-esteem and sence of self-worth, they won`t let the media control them, because they`ll know that they are one of a kind. When we know our worth we won`t degrade ourselves to let everyone see us, but rather hide our beauty for the one that truly deserves us. If we teach them the value of decent character, they will try to cultivate it. The best example is by our actions. If we lead with good conduct, also the children will feel inspired to the same path. The best feeling is achieved by sincerely doing good deeds and being helpful with what we have capacity to manage. May Allah help us understand what beauty actually is, and make our character a reflection of Prophet Muhammad pbuh`s way of living. Ameen summa ameen.
Roshnii179 