There’s a strange kind of power in being stripped of what the world calls “beauty.” In my case, it started with hair.
I began losing it in my early 20s—around the time most people are busy perfecting their image. I watched the thinning set in like a slow fade on a camera lens, quietly erasing the version of myself I had once imagined. By 2009, the evidence was undeniable. The mirror didn’t lie, and neither did the world around me. The looks, the comments, the well-meaning advice, and sometimes the not-so-well-meaning jabs—they all came.
But here’s the thing. I never really felt insecure. Not in the way the world expected me to.
One fine day—I remember it like a scene from a movie—I just shaved it all off. No dramatic build-up. No tears. Just a razor and a decision. I did it again the next week. And then again the week after. For two to three months straight, I committed to facing myself without filters, distractions, or what-ifs. And wallah—it was like someone reached into my head and turned off the noise.
I was FREE…
I started seeing my reflection not as a loss, but as a statement. “This is who I am. Take it or leave it.” And I took it. I embraced it. I owned it.
The Bullies, the Stares, and the Unsolicited Opinions
I wish I could say that once I accepted myself, the world did too. But that would be a lie.
There were still stares. Still people trying to define my worth through their lens of “normal.” There were the jokes, the body shaming, the whispered comments. Some thought they were being funny. Others didn’t care. And some just didn’t know better.
But through it all, I held my ground—not because I was trying to prove a point, but because I had nothing left to prove. The moment I stopped seeing myself through their eyes, I started living on my terms.
You see, real strength isn’t loud. It’s quiet, constant, and deeply rooted in how you carry yourself when nobody is clapping.
Feeling Good in My Own Skin
Today, as I inch closer to 48, I look back and I don’t see scars—I see stories. Every laugh line, every decision, every challenge has shaped the man I am today.
And let me tell you something: loving myself the way I am has been the most powerful thing I’ve ever done.
It gave me clarity. It made me think bigger—not in terms of ambition, but in the scale of my self-worth. It made me pragmatic. I stopped wasting energy on the things I couldn’t control and started pouring it into what I could.
And most importantly—it taught me the power of giving.
Yes, giving. Because when you’re not constantly consumed with fixing yourself, you start noticing how you can heal others. You become a better friend, mentor, partner, father. You stop judging. You start holding space.
That’s what happens when you feel good in your own skin. You become unstoppable—not because you’re perfect, but because you’re finally whole.
The Mindset Shift
This journey wasn’t about hair. It was about mindset. About rewiring the way I show up for myself and for the world.
Pain can harden you or it can awaken you. I chose the latter.
So to anyone out there battling their own version of “not enough”—know this: You are more than what they say, more than what the mirror shows, more than what you’ve lost.
Stand tall. Own your story. And if you must—shave it all off. Let the world see who you really are.
Because when you do, the world doesn’t get to define you anymore.
YOU DO…
Mindful Musings 