I was constantly teased for having dark brown skin, little and curly hair, alien face and small body frame, which is regarded as not good-looking or worse, ugly in Cambodian society. As a person who is visually oriented, it’s a lie to say I wasn’t sad about this. Nope, I was very very sad. I gradually developed a sense of insecurity and shame about my look, and always thought of changing myself through whatever means possible, including plastic surgery in order to make me look like a Korean or Hollywood actor in the movies I used to watch. Not until one day, I was seeing myself in the mirror and pretending a smile like other self-absorbed people would do, and I took one step closer to see more clearly. Then, I looked right into my eye, and miracle happened. I saw a dark circle composed of complex iris and pupil in my eye and was very stunned by its beauty. It’s finely-crafted and more glamorous than every single priceless diamond, emerald, ruby or sapphire I ever saw in the pictures or in a flesh. How could an ugly person be attached with such a divine jewel in both eyes? That's when I realized that I wasn’t ugly. I started to see myself differently and to be proud and appreciative of my skin, my hair, my face and my body. There’s no need to change since I AM ALREADY HANDSOME. There’s no more sadness, insecurity or shame. I’m not emotionally affected by people’s words anymore.
You can’t change the way people look at you since “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but you can change the way you see and feel about yourself. You don’t have to have the handsome or beautiful face like Zac Efron or Angelina Jolie, or hot body like Bradley Cooper or Victoria Secret models to be good-looking. All you need is a heart to be thankful for who you are because you are created to be the best version of yourself. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!
