Perspective can be a funny thing.
When you look at this, what do you see?
Some people would say a woman, while others would say an old man.
Most people like cherries, while someone like me can’t stand the taste.
Some people could randomly run into this person at Chipotle one day and think nothing of it
considering they have absolutely no idea who he is, while others would be begging him for
a picture.
Perspective is also funny on the topic of judging our attractiveness.
I’ve seen public videos of people who honestly look decent by my standards, label themselves
as ugly.
Whenever I see these videos I wonder to myself, “how do you not see what I see?”
Imagine how sad it would be, going your whole life believing you’re not attractive, when
in reality, people secretly did think you were good looking, but because you carried
the label, “too ugly for anyone to be attracted to me” you missed out on a gazillion different
opportunities?
Wouldn’t that be such a tragedy?
I say these things because I believe we all deserve to feel confident in our appearance.
Your body is going to be with you until the day you die, right?
So why not treat it like a friend, rather than an enemy?
And this isn’t a matter of being in denial.
It’s about adjusting our perspective on what beauty looks like.
Now, I will acknowledge the fact that not all of us are born with 2 arms, 2 legs, and
sometimes, God forbid, accidents occur and it makes our faces look… unpleasant… for
lack of a better term.
...but even then, there needs to be hope.
There needs to be hope that even if we think we’re not good looking now, that we can
be in the future.
Today I want to focus on this question: When, and how does our self-esteem decline in regards
to our looks?, and how can we get it back?
Well, in this brilliant Hey Arnold episode, “Weighing Harold” all of these questions
are answered.
This story centers around this character named Harold who is a pretty popular kid.
He’s known for his impressive superability to eat 50 chocolate popsicles in one sitting.
The dude could basically make a career off of this on YouTube and make bank.
He wins many bets against his so-called “friends” around town, but at the cost of sabotaging
his health.
Not only that but, when he finishes his ice cream challenge, the ice cream man makes fun
of him, and calls him "tubby".
This guy thinks he’s so tough, but if he talked to Patrick that way, for sure, he would
get his ass whooped.
As Harold walks around town he notices more people, including his fake friends, making
fun of his weight, and calling him an idiot for wasting his health, and allowance on an
ice cream challenge.
This is the moment, ladies and gentlemen, when we start to look at ourselves in a different way.
For better or for worse, rejection stings. Especially if it’s coming from those who
we consider to be our friends.
Not only does it sting, but it can stick, like glue.
The pain of that rejection, or harsh comment, can last for years, without us even realizing
that it’s there deep within us.
So, because of those comments, Harold starts to become more self-conscious about his body weight.
Conveniently, later that night, he stumbles upon a commercial about a “boat cruise,
weight loss” program.
It’s a 5 week process where, apparently, you can go on vacation and lose weight at
the same time.
Without hesitation, Harold books his reservation.
As Arnold, his parents, and his fake friends cheer him on, he guarantees they’ll all
be shocked when he returns fully transformed.
As promised, Harold shocks everyone with his transformation.
However, it’s not the transformation neither he, nor anyone else expected.
When Harold is confused about why his fake friends are still giving him a hard time about
his weight, Arnold shows him the hard truth through his reflection.
Because of this realization that the weight loss program did nothing but make the situation
worse, Harold’s disappointment is immeasurable and his day is ruined.
He starts shaming himself, calling himself a “gigantic freak.”
And that self-shaming quickly turns into depression.
He starts hiding in his room, sneaking his ice creams up there with him.
When Arnold expresses his concern, Harold tells him to “leave him alone” because
he feels so ashamed and embarrassed to talk to anyone.
Arnold feels bad for the poor guy, not only because of his terrible “friends” (if
you can call them that), but also because he’s just so helpless, he doesn’t believe
it’s possible for him to lose weight.
It becomes clear to Arnold that he needs someone to help him that actually knows what they’re doing.
After talking to Harold privately about his self-esteem issues,
Arnold volunteers to be his personal trainer.
Unlike Harold’s fake friends that got him into this mess in the first place, Arnold
is someone he knows he can count on because he has an encouraging personality, and believes
in all his friends’ potential.
Now, I’m not sure where he gets his wisdom from considering he’s like 9 years old.
Maybe his favorite show is Dr. Phil or something, but as you’ll see in this scene right here,
Arnold knows exactly what to say to give Harold hope for his future.
After the workouts get too hard for Harold to handle, he starts shaming himself once
again.
Then Arnold says something very thought-provoking.
Arnold’s point here is that he should only pursue changing his weight if it’s something
that he actually wants to do, not because it’s something that people told him he should do.
Like I said at the beginning of this video, what one person may find attractive may not
be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s okay.
Not saying I would, let's say I wore a Dora the Explorer shirt that I thought was fire,
would I be judged and criticized for it?
Absolutely.
But I would still wear it if it's an authentic expression of my personality, the shirt was
comfortable?
Yes.
People may laugh, but whatever, laughter is good.
As this episode tries to explain, it’s not about avoiding who you are, it’s about accepting
who you are.
As the story concludes, they work to get him back to his old weight… a size that he,
himself is comfortable with.
When it’s time for him to reveal himself to the public, he walks with confidence, proud
of his transformation.
His self-love rubs off on others, and they see his transformation the same way he does.
Why is this?
It’s not so much about what you look like, it’s about how you carry yourself.
Body language, facial expressions, and confidence in general can make anyone go from a 5/10
to a 10/10.
What I love about this episode is it also is trying to say that if you truly want to
change, that’s okay too.
And you can do it.
All it takes is having a goal in mind, and believing that you can get to that goal.
Now, I’m not a fitness coach, but here’s a photo of me, not to brag or anything, but
as proof that what I’m about to say has some truth to it.
Calisthenics is really all you need, and it’s all Harold needs in this episode.
No equipment is required other than maybe a public park.
These are exercises you can do anywhere.
Pushups, pullups, dips, squats, and throwing some cardio in there is what has helped me,
and is what I would recommend for anyone who wants to know where to start.
There are hundreds of channels that can explain this better than me, some of the ones I recommend are
the ones shown on screen.
Before this video ends, I want to mention that Instagram is the best way to contact
me if you have a question, or want to talk to me about something.
My DMs are always open.
And I appreciate every heartfelt message you guys send.
It motivates me to continue making these videos.
With all that being said, I hope you enjoyed this video.
Don’t forget to express yourself, and have a great one.