YouTube beauty blogger Rachel Levin just posted a beautiful video reminding us to be conscious of how we talk about our selves and our own bodies. As People Magazine reported this weekend, her video, entitled “I Am Ugly,” features Levin criticizing her own “flaws” while looking in the mirror. A young version of herself the comes up in the mirror reflection and asks if Rachel would say those things to her. Levin then tells her younger self, “You’re beautiful.” The young Rachel asks, “Then why can’t you say that to yourself?”
As People pointed out, Rachel Levin typically posts videos about how to do easy beauty tricks, and her videos are usually more comedic in tone. This video is a very important thing for women to see. For one thing, it shows that even a woman who is known as confident can still have her insecurities, and that is ok. Beyond that, the idea of keeping your younger self in mind can be very helpful when trying to keep a positive mindset about your beauty and your body.
When we remind ourselves of the freedom we felt as young children, we think back to a time when food was never an enemy. Play was a privilege, not a punishment for consuming lots of calories. We didn’t stress about perfect makeup or anti-aging skincare. Messy hair was no problem, it was simply a sign that we didn’t want to waste time on our appearance when we could be exploring the world around us. Thinking about our younger selves, we tend to feel protective of those carefree children. The thought of criticizing our younger selves the way we criticize our adult bodies sounds appalling and inexcusable. If you wouldn’t criticize that little girl, don’t criticize the grown woman now.
Check the video out below!
