Nigerian TV presenter and documentary filmmaker, Bolanle Olukanni has given a thought-provoking TED talk via her social media page.
She spoke on the increasingly growing obsession on physical looks, stating that it is easy to get carried awaay and depend on your looks for self validation.
Bolanle narrated how being told she was beautiful got into her head at the age of 5 and when the compliments stopped coming, she became bothered and upset about it.
According to her, she had older sisters who really had a lot more going for them asides from physical validation. Taking a cue from her sisters, she became more rounded as a person and was able to overcome the physical obsession.
The TV host emphasized the need for people to avoid getting validation from physical things, but rather focus on getting it from God.
She wrote,
With an increasingly growing obsession on physical looks, its easy to get sucked in and completely depend on your physical looks for self validation. I told someone a story yesterday- When I was really young -like 5 years old… I was the cutest thing. Lol yup. Everyone told me. It was my identity -even as a 5 year old. I knew it . Carried it on my head. So I got to 7 and of course I wasn’t a cute like a baby. I remember thinking why don’t people tell me I am cute anymore??!!!! I was so bothered and upset by it. Thankfully my parents noticed and I had older sisters who really had a lot more going for them asides from physical validation. I began to become more rounded as a person and I was able to grow into my teenage years not overly obsessed about my looks. My self- confidence also came from knowing who I am as a Child of the Most high. Ultimately this is where that confidence comes from. This life will ask you to validate yourself based on things , where you are from , how you talk , how you achieve – if you constantly answer , you will be running upandan. So stop ? . Get your confidence from the creator. God made you . That’s the only opinion that matters ??? #godovereverything
