Alicia on confronting her internal voice and finding the beauty within.
– KEYS SOULCARE
Our morning routines are more than just alarm clocks and coffee; they’re also the soundtrack we play inside of our own heads. Before our feet even touch the floor, our thoughts are often a few steps ahead. And, just like so many of us, Alicia had an internal conversation on repeat that was centered around picking apart her appearance for the sake of an industry’s impossible set of standards.
“‘What if someone sees me like this and asks to take a photo? And what if that picture gets posted?’ For more than a decade, my first thought, upon getting out of the shower was usually, ‘What can I wear that won’t cause too much attention?’ That was true whether I was planning to pick up my son or just going out to shop or work out.” — Alicia Keys, More Myself
The internal dialogues we have with ourselves can skew our sight from the wonder that the day has in front of us and carry us down paths that dim our natural light. But, just like any other conversation that doesn’t serve us, change is on the other side of acknowledging that we deserve so much more. Of her own revelation, Alicia says, “What was different, on this day, was that I caught myself in the middle of neurosis, and it socked me right in the gut.”
That pivotal moment sparked an introspective journey to better understand her relationship with what her own appearance was (and wasn’t) allowing her to show up in the world. While she’d lost her way in the pursuit of an “impenetrable armor of perfection” to please others, she knew that true peace would be of her own design.
“There were only two options for breaking out of my prison,” Alicia says. “To always leave my house ready for a close-up, which every parent can testify is impossible, or to finally get comfortable with my true face, others’ opinions be damned.”
By creating a safe space for her authentic self to show up, Alicia reached new levels of self-love and sparked culture-shifting conversation with #nomakeup. More than a hashtag, this movement has roots in getting real with the uniqueness that each of us brings to the world.
At the end of the day there is no such thing as perfect, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
How are you creating comfort in your own skin? Tell us in the comments below.
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