Confidence is an inner attribute. It doesn’t come from having a fair skin colour, as claimed by Fair and Lovely and other such product ads, or from having a lush, voluminous turf, as conveyed by Parachute and several hair oil publicity campaigns, or even from being impressively tall, as the Growth On advertisement on TV likes to insist. It comes from being yourself, and in believing in yourself.
“Be yourself and be proud of it at every age”, thus goes the famous idiom.
When we choose ‘becoming’ over ‘being’, we are building our confidence on shifting grounds.
Yuri Gagarin, a 5 feet two inches tall Russian astronaut, hitched his wagon to the stars and became the first man to travel in space. In the literary world, few can reach the heights that Voltaire did, even though he too was the same height as Yuri. A French writer and philosopher, whose thoughts on civil liberties fuelled the French revolution, Voltaire is considered one of the most influential figures of all times.
In contemporary India, the actor, singer and director Raghubir Yadav, who ran away from home at the age of 15 to follow his dreams, went on to become one of the most multifaceted personalities in the theatre and cinema industry. At 5 feet three inches, he attained heights that only a few can aspire for. To cite a parallel example of an individual on the other side of the hemisphere, also known for her versatility, is the producer and comedian Melissa McCarthy. At 5 feet two inches, she stands tall among her peers, with her list of nominations and awards ever accruing. As of late, acutely dissatisfied with the choice available for Plus size women, she has even launched her own successful fashion-line to cater to this segment of women, keeping herself in mind.
It is said that the famous author Hans Christian Andersen’s Ugly Duckling was meant as a statement on his own ungainly looks and humble origins. Yet, his inner genius eclipsed his outer appearance, while expressing itself through some of the most luminous fairytales of all time, such as The Princess and the Pea, The Little Mermaid, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Snow Queen, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Thumbelina, and The Little Match Girl.
His stories, both earthly and symbolic in their content, have left an indelible mark on Western culture with themes that transcend age and nationality. Of course, the example closest to home is that of Mahatma Gandhi, for whom Churchill seemed to have said “it is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi.” Yet, this very man, thus described, was one of the most charismatic leaders the twentieth century produced.
Being dark-skinned, is a matter of pigmentation, and should not determine one’s confidence level. In 2014, the People magazine nominated Lupita Nyong’o, a black Kenyan-Mexican Oscar-winning actor as the most beautiful person in the world.
Thankfully, in India we have accomplished actors such as Nana Patekar, Nandita Das, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Adil Hussain, lighting up the silver screen, showing that the intensely earthy look is becoming the rage.
Remember, all these people and a thousand others who made a difference to the world did not rely on the beauty industry to help them succeed, but on their inner strength. Theirs was a self-confidence, which stemmed not from being fair and lovely, or tall and slim, but from a deep conviction in their individual self and its unique raison-d’être in this vast creation.
So, while the beauty product industry is trying to establish the new ‘us’, to become just another face in the crowd, it is imperative that we cling to our ‘real’ self, and explore the unending vistas of our own inner beauty and true potential.
Seema Muniz, a feature writer with the Times of India group in the nineties, is an avid reader and educationist, who homeschooled her son until tenth grade, while drifting between New York and Alaska with her family. She is also an artist, with a few solo and group shows in Albany, NY, to her credit.
brilliant article !