Beauty Lessons from Maria von Trapp
Do you remember the scene in The Sound of Music when Julie Andrews, as Maria, prances toward the von Trapp home singing "I have con-fi-dence in me!" (or at least the parody in the Family Guy movie)? Fans of the story will recall that the song began as a defense mechanism against fear and a sense of inadequacy for the task that awaited her. While she is struck with nervousness occasionally throughout the story, Maria is renowned for her confidence and her dogged pursuit after what she believes to be right.It's been said many times, but it bears repeating: confidence is your greatest asset. So much of the beauty and fashion industry centers around flaunting our assets, which is a way of broadcasting confidence. We only bring people's attention to what we know is good about ourselves. However, the ablity to broadcast confidence without props is even more powerfully persuasive.
Now, when I talk about confidence, I differentiate it from arrogance. Arrogance is rooted in the fear of being found insufficient or a fraud. It is the child shouting "I'm (yawn) not tired!" at 11:38pm. Confidence knows that the success of others does not take away from it's own accomplishments. It is an assurance of one's own intrinsic value.
My younger brother is an excellent example. People have almost always been drawn to him. He made new friends daily as a child, and not much later calls from giggling girls started pouring in (and only stopped once redirected to a cell phone). He is certainly admirable for his many talents, his sense of humor, and his loving heart. He is attractive enough, but I'm convinced that his looks are not the biggest draw.
My brother knows who he is, what he likes, and what he wants to do. He believed that people would want to be his friends and, consequently, they did. Fashion decisions that initially seem odd actually work on him, because he thinks it is cool (and he really does have excellent taste in styling). Instead of wasting time bemoaning what he can't immediately change about himself, he makes the most of the good that's already there.
I think that's a lesson that both my brother and Maria can teach us. Make a list of the things that make you feel competent, excellent, and optimistic. Keep track of compliments, encouraging emails you receive, and what activities renew your confidence. Then revisit these memories and make time for these pasttimes. If you "simply remember [your] favorite things" about yourself, "then [you won't] feel so bad!"
posted by Virginia Green @ 12:58 AM
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