Thursday, May 22, 2008

Superficiality Is Not Cool! Let's Go Deep!

I happened to chance upon the Tyra Banks Show Season 3 in the evening. I watched it with much sadness especially when the featured individuals found identity in themselves in what they wear - by this, I mean the brands they go for.

In one segment, Tyra switched the labels - several unknown-branded clothes were tagged as the more well-known ones. When the individuals wore them, they felt good. Of course, these same persons felt lousy when they wore the other sets of clothes which were actually from well-known brands but tagged otherwise.

When the truth was revealed to them, they started making excuses as to why they felt this and that way about the clothes. The crux of the matter is this - it is not the clothes that make a person but learning to accept yourself as who you are matters more!

I struggled with this for a while in my life - thinking that the more branded stuff make who Andy Chew is. At the end of the day, it was not to be. I have always been more on the horizontally-challenged side... even the most well-known brand of mechandise would not have made me feel good because Andy Chew will still be fat in these clothes.

I struggled with the Lord in this and over time, I learnt that people will still accept and be attracted to me by my character than the clothes I wear. Of course I am not saying that I have one of the best characters in town... I am still "work in progress" and sadly, I still put people off at times. I have to say that I do not feel good when I irk people and I apologise if I have been. I am trying not to and through God's help, may I be a better friend to another.

Well, again I stress it is not the hairstyle or make-up or clothes or accessories or brands we carry which make us to be who we are. If we rely on these, then we are being superficial because if we search within us, we will know there is still this insecurity which will surface occasionally. It will then be a battle we have to keep fighting till the day we breathe our last.

God made all of us different and special - we are one of a kind. Take pride in that because no one can be like us physically, even in mannerism. If we can just accept that and let God continue to mould our character, our lives would be more attractive than even the most expensive diamond available in this world. We are all precious gems - no doubt about it!

Fat or thin; tall or short; blemish-free face or not; receding hairline or a head full of hair; big or small ears; one big and one small eye; flat nose or sharp; big bustline or small; pear-shape or apple-shape, all these are secondary! Just know that you are UNIQUE!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

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