I always wanted to write about this topic, but was not sure whether I would be able to or not. An incident took place which left me wondering, so I decided to write about it.

Before I share the incident, let me tell you why I chose this topic. This is about YOU, me and everyone else. It is about self-analysis, self-confidence, been aware of one’s self, accepting who you are and living your life the way you wanted to without any fear of been judged.

YOU are unique and the only masterpiece that God has carefully designed to make a difference in the world

In early 2020, I decided to start studying again after a long break of 6 years. It was a tough decision to make as I had a full-time job, household chores to attend to and find time for my studies. It was hectic and I had to find a balance between all this, but I was up for the challenge.

I was heading back home from my first day at the institute. Since it was a professional course, we had to dress appropriately unlike a regular college student. Coming from a Hospitality background, proper grooming is something you always live by. I was dressed in a black business suit with an elegant white blouse and black kitten heel shoes with my messy hair neatly tied into a high doughnut bun.

The trainer was highly impressed. She gave me great feedback and said that she was forced to listen to my introduction as my grooming and body language commanded attention. I felt so good and motivated, couldn’t wait to get home and share it with my family.

On my way back I stopped by the ATM and was waiting in the queue. A young lady about my age and height dressed in an Abaya (a full-length outfit worn by some Muslim women) hesitantly approached me and tried to strike a conversation. She appeared friendly and politely asked for my name and inquired about my profession. I was a bit surprised about a stranger coming up to me and asking personal questions, at the same time was curious to know more about her and what were her intentions.

Once she became comfortable, she began to open up and have a conversation. When she saw me from opposite the road and found I was looking very attractive, she was wondering that if I was of her height approximately and can look so attractive, why can’t she? It was a very obvious question indeed. That’s when she decided to approach me.

I discovered that she was suffering from a major inferiority complex as her height was shorter than the average women. She was constantly made fun about her height by her family and friends. This demotivated her and dented her self-esteem to an extent that she took steps to hide her flaw. She even started to wear uncomfortable high block heel shoes to look taller. Whenever she would see someone of similar height and looked attractive, she would approach them to ask how they deal with such criticism.

Whoa… now that is really weird…

I couldn’t stop thinking about this incident for quite some time. I realised how society judges us based on our looks, treat us differently if they feel we do not measure up to their standards. No matter how attractive or confident you are, they will always treat you differently, constantly try to pull you down, make you feel ashamed of yourself in public. Isn’t this devastating?

I felt like doing something for the young lady, but she was not comfortable speaking in public as there were many people around. Like her there are millions who are currently going through similar experiences. I wanted to reach out to all those people who are in a similar situation, help them overcome their fear and help in their transformation.

It is very important to stand out in public but not at the cost of your self-dignity because at the end all that matters is “what YOU think about yourself and not what people think about YOU”. Ladies and gentlemen YOU are unique and the only masterpiece that God has carefully designed to make a difference in the world. So, go ahead and change the world rather than wasting your time on such petty issues.

Ms Young Lady in Abaya, if you are reading this article then I think I have played my part in helping you overcome your fear by publishing this article for millions to view and live their life to please themselves and not for others.

Note: The article does not target people from any race, religion or gender. The incident is clearly based on experience from the author's personal life and is published in the best interest of the public.