You Are MORE than Enough
Meanings Over Milestones by Anupa Roper
She sat and looked in the mirror. There were big tears running down her face. Ever since she could remember, she had wasted so much time and energy feeling sad at the words and actions of others. Now, she was stronger. Now, she knew better. She knew that her worth was not based on the way that she looked on the outside; on the size of her ‘skinny’ legs. More importantly, she didn’t ever want her children to grow up feeling the same.
That ‘she’ that I talk of isn’t just a woman that I watch from the sidelines, a woman I can sympathise with but never really, truly understand her feelings. Because that woman is me. That ‘she’ is me. I finally know that I am loved, I am beautiful, I am worthy, I am more than enough. But there was a time when my appearance made me feel so unworthy. A time when I missed out on many wonderful experiences.
It began at school, age eleven, a time when others were growing into their bodies. Meanwhile, my body remained the same, my tiny legs and arms stood out. I felt so worried about how my legs looked to others that I would even wear two pairs of tights to bulk them out! I began to get teased. It’s hard enough growing up, with insecurities and uncertainties about so many things. My self-esteem was nowhere to be found but not a single person would have known from the way that I behaved. How would they? I was the class clown; always making people laugh.
That has remained through the years, my outside persona never revealing the sadness inside. In fact, it only served to make everyone believe that I was super confident. So, when did I stop placing so much heartache on the girl in the mirror? I’m sad to say it was only as recently as the last few years. The saddest part is that I have missed out on loving myself. That was torn away from me at a young age. Slowly, I have realised that my beauty is so much more than my appearance. Slowly, I have learnt to love myself, every single part of me. I know that I am beautiful inside and out. Because I am me!
My arms and legs may be slender, but my heart is big. I have so much more to give to this world. So do you. We are all loved, we are all beautiful, we are all worthy, we are all more than enough. So go… be brave, be real, be you!
Anupa Roper lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband and two children (Maya 11 and Ayden 10). She allowed her label of ‘skinny’ to hold her back, so now she is on a mission to support the next generations to know that they are more than enough just the way they are. You can find her as ‘Sparrowlegs’ on Instagram and Facebook and this is also the title of her debut children’s book about a sparrow who learns to love the feathers she is in.
Categories: Body Image, Growing up, Self-esteem, Self love, Bullying
You Are MORE than Enough
by Anupa Roper
She sat and looked in the mirror. There were big tears running down her face. Ever since she could remember, she had wasted so much time and energy feeling sad at the words and actions of others. Now, she was stronger. Now, she knew better. She knew that her worth was not based on the way that she looked on the outside; on the size of her ‘skinny’ legs. More importantly, she didn’t ever want her children to grow up feeling the same.
That ‘she’ that I talk of isn’t just a woman that I watch from the sidelines, a woman I can sympathise with but never really, truly understand her feelings. Because that woman is me. That ‘she’ is me. I finally know that I am loved, I am beautiful, I am worthy, I am more than enough. But there was a time when my appearance made me feel so unworthy. A time when I missed out on many wonderful experiences.
It began at school, age eleven, a time when others were growing into their bodies. Meanwhile, my body remained the same, my tiny legs and arms stood out. I felt so worried about how my legs looked to others that I would even wear two pairs of tights to bulk them out! I began to get teased. It’s hard enough growing up, with insecurities and uncertainties about so many things. My self-esteem was nowhere to be found but not a single person would have known from the way that I behaved. How would they? I was the class clown; always making people laugh.
That has remained through the years, my outside persona never revealing the sadness inside. In fact, it only served to make everyone believe that I was super confident. So, when did I stop placing so much heartache on the girl in the mirror? I’m sad to say it was only as recently as the last few years. The saddest part is that I have missed out on loving myself. That was torn away from me at a young age. Slowly, I have realised that my beauty is so much more than my appearance. Slowly, I have learnt to love myself, every single part of me. I know that I am beautiful inside and out. Because I am me!
My arms and legs may be slender, but my heart is big. I have so much more to give to this world. So do you. We are all loved, we are all beautiful, we are all worthy, we are all more than enough. So go… be brave, be real, be you!
Anupa Roper lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband and two children (Maya 11 and Ayden 10). She allowed her label of ‘skinny’ to hold her back, so now she is on a mission to support the next generations to know that they are more than enough just the way they are. You can find her as ‘Sparrowlegs’ on Instagram and Facebook and this is also the title of her debut children’s book about a sparrow who learns to love the feathers she is in.
Categories: Body Image, Growing up, Self-esteem, Self love, Bullying
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