PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

So the Victoria’s Secret fashion show is tonight. I look forward to seeing a bunch of girls on Facebook rambling about how their self esteem is lower after watching it.

Here’s a tip:

Every human is different. Whether you are a man or a woman, there is always someone that society might consider being better looking than you are. It’s a fact. Take for example, People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” Chris Hemsworth (Ironically, this title is likely selected by a female panel of an unknown number. You know, the same ones who decry the Victoria’s Secret models.). He is a better looking man than I am. It’s a fact.

Would it be cool to look like Chris Hemsworth? Yes, I’d definitely imagine so. I’m human, thus I am innately self-critical. Do I feel that I’m imperfect? Yes. I’m too short (5’7″), too skinny, too frail, and too “ordinary” looking.

Then, logic attempts to step in:

Truth be told, it is logical to think that I should not hold myself up to the same standard as Chris Hemsworth, most because I’m not Chris Hemsworth. I’m Bryan Williams, and it is genetically impossible for me to look like Chris Hemsworth. The best thing that I could do to improve my self-confidence is to work on improving things about myself that I’m insecure about. I could eat better food (I have a diet that mostly consists of honey buns, pizza, and Skyline Chilli), I could work out (I did before and actually saw decent results), and perhaps take more time to groom to improve how I look. The rest, is out of my control.

On the flip side, there are people that think that I’m attractive. Most notably, my wife (for whatever reasons she might have). The same goes for all of us. While you may think that you’re nothing but ordinary, someone out there thinks that you are the world. Someone thinks that you are the most beautiful thing that they’ve ever seen. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.

Now, to the women, these “impossible beauty standards” don’t include women and only women. They include both genders, and that is something largely ignored. You cannot bash the looks of a Victoria’s Secret model while worshiping Channing Tatum. That is contradictory. We must only look at the facts. Why do you like these men? Well, they’re attractive. Why do most men like Reese Witherspoon? She’s pretty.

For all of us, we have to realize that these extremely attractive people actually exist in real life, and nearly all of them (minus the occasional artificial enhancement) were born they way they are. . . just like we were. Penelope Cruz was born that way. Carrie Underwood was too. However, they are people just like the rest of us. We are who we are, and we must deal with what we’ve been handed. Most of the time, I’d stretch to say that it isn’t THAT bad.

Maybe, we should accept that, and then learn to love who we are on a personal level. Improve on the things that we have personal control of, and try not to concern ourselves too much with the things that we cannot control. I know that  it’s very difficult, and yet, though I’m preaching here, I struggle with the same things every day.

Insecurity rules my mind, but depending on the day, I do pretty good with it sometimes.

I am who I am. You are who you are. Let’s embrace that.

–Bryan