Sharing an inspiring anecdote of short, simple-minded and tenacious Vidya Natrajan, who shares her experience of what society made her believe versus what she believed in.
“As a child, I remember people publicly reminding me of my short height and acne problems. My extended family would relentlessly say that had I have been a bit taller, it would have been nice, if not for so many acne issues, I would have looked prettier,” recollects Vidya.
“When I was in college, along with my height and acne issues, I also shouldered other insecurities. I used to only wear polo necks and full-sleeved clothing to cover up my body acne so that nobody would notice. I used to hide my insecurities in layers of makeup on my face. To not appear short, I used to wear heels on daily basis, keep tripping on it several times in a day but still refused to switch my footwear to comfortable ones. In a way, I was making up for all the shortfalls society put upon me.”
“Whenever I was criticised about my physical attributes, I wouldn’t lash out. I would start sulking. When your family says something, it hurts the most because you expect them to be your support pillars and not the ones to evoke negative self-thoughts. Family and relatives feel they can say anything they want regardless of the repercussions.”
“The good news is that my insecurities were short-lived. As soon as I started working, I gradually got over them. I met so many people who were facing similar issues and once we started opening up to each other, we realised that we were not alone. Many people are shamed for their physical attributes and yet choose to remain happy and confident. That’s what gave me the boost in my life. I gradually moved away from polo necks and full-sleeved clothing to adorn whatever I wanted to wear without overthinking it. This shift in my attitude empowered me and me feel secure in myself.”
“I feel the most difficult task is to inspire the younger generation who may be going through similar hurdles. All I want to tell them is that it may be difficult to disregard unkind comments but, at the end of the day, what matters is you and only you can make yourself happy. Nobody else.”