SELF-CONSCIOUS

{top from the Pratunam market in Bangkok, shorts from Donna, flats from Parisian}

Tried to take outfit shots again today and boy oh boy, I have gone rusty! Top photo pretty much summarizes how I am feeling - self-conscious.

And as I type, I am reminded of one very important detail: I am not alone. The Dove campaigns effectively convey how women, given the standards and expectations of media and society, are feeling less and less confident about who they are and their innate power and beauty. We're bombarded with photoshopped images of the ideal woman and we're given unsolicited advice on how to change our appearance, personality, and even ambition to cater to the "norm". And where does that leave us ordinary gals? Somewhere along dissatisfied and insecure. One of my good friends is a transgender female, and on several occasions I have told her that she possesses a womanity that some women struggle to find. It lies in the confidence in being the woman that you are. Flaws, quirks, shortcomings and all. The secret is in accepting that you cannot and will not please everybody. It is being pleased with living in your own skin, living a life based on a scale of virtues and values that you honest to goodness actually uphold. And in Carrie Bradshaw's parting words on HBO, and if you find someone that loves the YOU you love, well that's just fabulous.