Michael Jackson - A Changing Face

I never knew Michael Jackson personally, so it is impossible to make any type of comment about him or his self-esteem or anything else, without it being a complete projection of my own psyche. Given the recent and unexpected death of this icon, however, it seems appropriate to discuss the topic of body image and beauty. There is no doubt that Michael Jackson's appearance changed dramatically over the course of his lifetime. It was widely rumored that he suffered from anorexia, possibly had body dysmorphia, possibly bleached his skin, and had more plastic surgery operations that one can count. It is rumored that anorexia might have played a role in his unexpected death. Some people look at his life and consider it with sadness, perceiving his suffering. Others look on in smug judgment. Yet any opinion that we have about a celebrity is merely some reflection of ourselves. Given that our culture at large is obsessed with appearances, and plastic surgery is becoming every day more common, Michael's tragic death presents us all with an opportunity to ask ourselves: What makes us want to change our appearance, sometimes drastically? It might be getting a face lift, nose job, breast implants, lyposuction, or botox. What fuels this desire to change our physical bodies, often at enormous cost? Many people suffer from self-hatred and dissatisfaction that shows up in the way they treat their bodies, whether through under-eating, overeating, binging, purging, or even substance abuse. Unfortunately, they mistakenly believe that changing their bodies will change the way they feel about themselves. How do you relate to your body? Do you believe that you will be more lovable if you look a certain way? Dress a certain way? How much is your body an indicator of your success? Does it determine how you feel about yourself? Only those close to Michael, and perhaps only Michael himself, will know the true reasons behind his dramatically-shifting appearance. For everyone else, instead of blaming, judging, or even feeling sorry for him, ask yourself what you can do to feel better about your body and about yourself. It is only by changing the way we feel about ourselves that we can change anything else. Can you discover your true beauty, without having to change anything?