Pep-ception

I like pep talks.  
            I like giving pep talks.  If I wasn’t so stupid when it came to sports, I might make a wonderful career as a high school football coach, just to be the guy giving the inspiring-pre-half-time-comeback-speech to the tune of a Beethoven symphony rip-off.  (I wonder if I could do that freelance...)

However, I do give my regular pep talks here, online.

Before I sit down and write anything for OurBeautifulSelves, I give myself audience.  I imagine that every single insecure individual I’ve ever known has been magically merged together into one broken, ambiguously raced/gendered loved one, and I end up spending the next half hour tweaking together the best literary hug I can.

            But here’s the problem.  I know from experience that a pep talk is the emotional equivalent of a band-aid.  It’s only effective when it’s not really needed.  It fails when the wounds are throbbing or sore, and it falls apart under-duress or while swimming.

So here’s the trick to fixing this entire problem.  When you read something here, that tells you true beauty comes from within, you need to believe it.  When your friends promise that you will find someone who loves you for who you are, you need to believe them.  And when you look in the mirror and tell yourself that you look fine, you need to believe yourself. 

Not only when it is convenient.

 Not only when it is safe.
            Not only until sweat causes the band-aid to slip away.

When people pick at scabs and rip your bandage, your redress your wounds and heal yourself, until your skin is thick enough to survive the blows.  We can only give you the words.  You need to say them.

Be happy, be healthy, and be there for yourself.

(Image taken from here)