The Blacker The Berry.

Experimented with a different locations for this look. Couldn't decided which one I liked better so I went with both! 

I used to believe that self acceptance was a privilege, only found amongst those who were lucky enough to possess certain physical features or personal qualities. For sometime I struggled with my appearance because I felt that I couldn't assimilate into this standard of beauty. Something that can be a particular issue amongst women of colour (Hence the title of this post).

I struggled to find ways in which my dark skin and features were represented and celebrated as being beautiful in ways that these other features at that time were. Finally, it got to the point were I realised that I really couldn't do much about my physical appearance. I was forced to re define my definition of beauty so that I was able to accept myself whilst learning to own my flaws.

The journey to self acceptance is a constant battle. However it’s of the most rewarding experiences. The benefits permeate all aspects of our lives, by accepting and loving who we are we begin to understand ourselves better. We can create spaces for growth and development that are tailored for US. 

The problem with comparisons is that we compare our worst to another persons best. Therefore we will always come up short. We can set goals and give them time frames that fail to take into consideration where we are in our journeys. When you learn to love you, you learn to mind your own business! Yes that person is jet setting and getting money but what am I doing right now to help myself live that way too? 

We can begin to appreciate our flaws and rather than seeing them as our down fall, identify them as rooms for improvement. This is especially true for our mental state. Perhaps you're not the kind of person you want to be but if you have an idea of what this is you can start taking those steps to get there. Accepting who we are means that we can stop worrying about what we cant change and start building on what we can. You stop explaining yourself to other people because why should you? People used to ask me all the time why I wore so much black? Erm…Because I want to! 

I'm still on my journey to self acceptance, somedays are easier than others, however I've realised that If I want to grow I've got to accept who I am now so that I can get to where I want to be. 

I hope this message reaches anyone who might be struggling with this. Stay blessed.

@ChiomaCEzeh

Outfit details

Shoes:Zara | Jeans: Topshop | Vest top: H&M | Duster coat: Topshop | Hat: H&M