Upon entering college, one of the first phrases thrown at me was “modest is hottest.” At the time, I brushed it off as a Christian school stereotype, but everyday I am learning what the phrase can really mean.
If you are stepping onto a Christian college campus for the first time and the phrase “modest is hottest” throws you for a loop, I have been there. But the phrase is not limited to what you wear. It extends to modesty in your attitude, as well.
Swirling around social media is the Body Positivity Movement. The goal of this movement as defined on the website is to care for yourself from a place of self-love and appreciation, which allows us to act on our purpose and life goals. Our motto at California Baptist University is to “Live your purpose,” but how can you achieve that purpose if you don’t love the skin you’re in?
This movement can be misconstrued as “I can do and wear whatever I want, wherever I want, because I love myself and I am God’s gift to the world.” Be modest in your character and know the importance of humility. Being someone who is body positive literally means having a positive image of yourself inside and out because, ultimately, it will benefit your health.
The concept of the Body Positive model is to inspire teens and young adults to build up a confidence that may not have been there before. Whether it is inspiring a healthy lifestyle or building up an individual’s self-esteem, the movement’s goal is ultimately to teach self-love. As humans, we are easily influenced by our peers.
“I saw Cady Heron wearing army pants and flip flops, so I bought army pants and flip flops,” said the character Bethany Byrd in the movie “Mean Girls.” While most of the movie was a fairly dramatized representation of what actually happens in high school, the line holds some truth to it. People do as they see. Boys and girls grow into adults influenced by every part of their life, and the journey to ‘‘self-discovery’’ doesn’t happen at the same age for everyone. The movement was created to help young people discover their confidence sooner rather than later.
Self-love does not mean living life on a high horse. You can still love yourself and not tell the world how great of a person you think you are. You can achieve amazing things and remain humble. Modest is hottest.
