I never knew Michael Jackson personally, so it is impossible to make any type of comment about him or his self-esteem or anything else, without it being a complete projection of my own psyche. Given the recent and unexpected death of this icon, however, it seems appropriate to discuss the topic of body image and beauty.
There is no doubt that Michael Jackson’s appearance changed dramatically over the course of his lifetime. It was widely rumored that he suffered from anorexia, possibly had body dysmorphia, possibly bleached his skin, and had more plastic surgery operations that one can count. It is rumored that anorexia might have played a role in his unexpected death.
Some people look at his life and consider it with sadness, perceiving his suffering. Others look on in smug judgment. Yet any opinion that we have about a celebrity is merely some reflection of ourselves.
Given that our culture at large is obsessed with appearances, and plastic surgery is becoming every day more common, Michael’s tragic death presents us all with an opportunity to ask ourselves:
What makes us want to change our appearance, sometimes drastically? It might be getting a face lift, nose job, breast implants, lyposuction, or botox. What fuels this desire to change our physical bodies, often at enormous cost?
Many people suffer from self-hatred and dissatisfaction that shows up in the way they treat their bodies, whether through under-eating, overeating, binging, purging, or even substance abuse. Unfortunately, they mistakenly believe that changing their bodies will change the way they feel about themselves.
How do you relate to your body?
Do you believe that you will be more lovable if you look a certain way? Dress a certain way?
How much is your body an indicator of your success? Does it determine how you feel about yourself?
Only those close to Michael, and perhaps only Michael himself, will know the true reasons behind his dramatically-shifting appearance. For everyone else, instead of blaming, judging, or even feeling sorry for him, ask yourself what you can do to feel better about your body and about yourself.
It is only by changing the way we feel about ourselves that we can change anything else.
Can you discover your true beauty, without having to change anything?
Dear Sarah,
You are inspiring! One can discover her/his true beauty without having to change their looks. Our appearance will shift naturally, should we desire it to shift, if we know our true Self.
Namaste
"..Yet any opinion that we have about a celebrity is merely some reflection of ourselves…"
Tonight is full of self inner-visions… so much that I would like to talk with you… I don't feel writing, really.
The man in the mirror… Man, what are you looking? What are you looking at?
I am looking at what I am not, truly. I know that I am not complete in that vision… There is a fast-certification that I am not shinning bright physically. I am not a genuine reflection of myself. I cannot explain why it's like that! It's sharp and clear!
It's not only a physical-conclusion. Instead I see my body-image as a consequence-result of inner-lacks. I see the "feeling-lack".
From there, something or many things are consciously lived at the same time. Too much. A different-state of myself, simple and strong.
I see something that constantly stop me to be myself, fighting, ruling my life-vision. Persuading me of an incompatibility of my "being" with the surrounding, with daily-life interactions.
I want to be honest with you… I do not believe in self-alone only rehabilitation. It is a lie to me, a social manipulation, to isolate people with medication-hope or meditation-hope alone… A way to constantly maintain human separations… to kill social-intelligence, social-health.
Ahhh!, should I continu!?!? (I should be in front of you to talk about that, to see you and feel you)
What if the mirror was broken… what kind of reflections should we be able to give to each other? I do not have the stamps of my father inside. Many years, alone, bring me here… The search of a genuine-father-stamp… It's a lie to think that we can replace that need with jobs, fame, beauty, popularity, money, performance, materialism…
The mirror do not talk that language… I should be able to make my home out from misguidances influences… I see a part of the illusion and it's big… Tonight, I most agree, another path is crossing the road. I am really surprised!
How can it be possible that Michael is my own mirror, tonight? Like his strong-inspirations and messages, I feel nothing less than a mission to myself and maybe to others, to follow a path, back where I have been killed by my father!
How beautiful is a lady that help you to open yourself that way… I really honor that kind of lady… Good night Sarah! Thanks!
I will tell you that story, too… I hope I am not talking too much!
Tonight I was watching CNN for news about Michael Jackson. It was a joy to see a few seconds, Deepak. So after more than a hour in front the TV, I went upstairs to the bathroom. There the black missing-sock, on the floor, in front the clothes dryer. (Just before CNN I was doing my laundry).
Tears in my eyes appeared whihout hope to stop them. Before the time it takes to ask myself, what is going on? I remembered Cheer, at the TV, talking about the fascination Michael had once about the beauty of her socks.
For me, that black sock is a synchronistic event! How can you explain that to a logical scared-mental? I do not know… but the acceptance was there. Something inside of me was catching that event in a meaningful way.
Love to you!