Me, Beautiful? No Way.

How often do we look in the mirror and immediately find fault?

That wrinkle. That scar. The way our belly folds when we sit. The tired eyes. The stretch marks.

We’ve been taught to define beauty by what we see on screens — filtered, flawless, and far from real. And somewhere along the way, we started to believe, “Not me. I’m not beautiful.”

That voice isn’t yours. It’s an echo — built over years of comparison, criticism, heartbreak, and silence. It’s the weight of magazine covers, picture-perfect influencers, and the subtle sting of comments we were too polite to push back on.

But let’s get something clear today:

Beauty is not a size, not a shade, not a smooth filter. Beauty is strength. It is survival. It is truth.

What Is Real Beauty?

Real beauty is lived, not painted on. It’s the quiet courage of someone who keeps showing up.

It’s the sparkle in your eye when you speak about something you love.

It’s the way your laugh lights up a room.

It’s the rough edges of your story — the parts you thought made you less than, when they actually made you more.

We don’t celebrate that enough. We’ve been conditioned to believe beauty is found in perfection.

But perfection is boring. It’s an illusion. And honestly, it’s not what people fall in love with.

People fall in love with realness. With depth. With the light in you that shines because of your darkness — not in spite of it.

Let’s Talk About Strength

Think about it. You’ve been through things that tried to break you.

• Maybe you’ve been a caregiver, giving so much of yourself that there’s barely anything left — and yet, you carry on.

• Maybe you’ve dealt with heartbreak, betrayal, loss, and still found the strength to keep your heart open.

• Maybe you’ve had moments where you didn’t recognise your own reflection — from motherhood, menopause, burnout, or the simple passage of time — and still, you’re here.

• Maybe your body doesn’t move, look, or feel the way it once did… but it carries your spirit every single day.

That’s powerful. That’s resilience.

That’s beautiful.

A Personal Example

I remember a phase where I felt invisible. Not just in looks — in life. Like I was shrinking under all the roles I had to play: entrepreneur, mother, partner, friend. My body felt foreign, my reflection unfamiliar. But one day, someone said to me, “You make me feel calm and grounded just being around you.”

That stopped me in my tracks. I realised that my beauty wasn’t in how I looked — it was in how I made people feel. It was in the way I held space, the way I listened, the way I showed up when it mattered.

And suddenly, that voice in the mirror started to change. Slowly. Softly. Honestly.

Here’s a Simple Task:

Take 5 minutes today. Just for you.

1. Stand in front of a mirror — not to judge, but to observe. Breathe.

2. Close your eyes and ask:

“What have I overcome that others can’t see?”

3. Now say this out loud:

“I’ve lived. I’ve learned. I’ve grown. That is beautiful.”

4. Write down one moment of strength from your life.

Not a highlight reel — a real, raw moment. Something that shaped you.

5. Stick it somewhere visible. Your mirror. Your journal. Your fridge. Anywhere.

You don’t need validation from the world. The world is still learning how to define beauty.

But you? You are beauty in motion. You are the definition, the blueprint, the reminder.

So the next time that inner voice says “Me? Beautiful? No way.”

I want you to respond with: “Yes, me. Especially me.”

Because your strength is your sparkle.

Your story is your shine.

And your soul? That’s where true beauty lives.

Lots of love always

Asha Bagwandeen