Beauty Looks Like — Oprah Zeon
We are excited to introduce Oprah Zeon, licensed marriage and family therapist, who exudes beauty daily through declaring positive affirmations and self-love. As we continue showcasing beauty through the faces, stories and backgrounds of beautiful African American women, we invited Oprah to share her personal journey in discovering “Beauty looks like ME!”
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What does beauty look like to you? Beauty looks like embracing everything about myself even what I perceive as flaws, because every part of me is beautiful!
Tell us your journey to seeing and saying beauty looks like you. My journey to seeing and saying beauty looks like me had its ups and downs. As a child I grew up in a home where my parents strengthened my self-esteem by speaking loving words to me. However, when I went to school, some of my peers would tear down those kinds words with mean ones. Instead of believing what God and my parents said about me, I started believing the negative words of hate. It was not until my junior year of high school that I decided to be kind to myself and work on my self-esteem. I began by making a list of the great attributes God placed inside of me and began reciting them every day. Even when a negative thought came into my mind, I would say no and recite a kind word/phrase from my list. As an adult, I still write down affirmations that I recite, especially when I need a reminder of who God says I am.
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How do you exude beauty on a daily basis? The way I exude beauty on a daily basis is by declaring affirmations each morning. I created a list of affirmations filled with God's promises, as well as my strengths, and remind myself of these great attributes when I wake up. Doing this helps me to tear down those negative thoughts that want to creep into my mind every now and then.
What woman embodies your definition of beauty? My mother and sisters embody my definition of beauty. Growing up, my mother always told us how beautiful we are, but also let us know that it matters what we think of ourselves and encouraged us to speak kind words to ourselves.
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What could you share with a young girl who struggle s with seeing beauty in the mirror? To a young girl who struggles to see beauty in the mirror, I would first tell her how beautiful she is and how God took His time creating her. I would let her know beauty is like the colors of a rainbow. No one looks the same; however, each person has special unique qualities that make them beautiful. Lastly, I would encourage her to get sticky notes, write down kind words, and stick them to her mirror to be reminded each morning of how beautiful she is and begin building her self-esteem.
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What does beauty look like? Join us throughout the month of March as we celebrate our second annual #BeautyLooksLikeME — showcasing beauty through the faces, stories and backgrounds of beautiful African American women. Beauty. Looks. Like. YOU! See it. Say it. Share it.
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