“Boys think girls are like books, if the cover doesn’t catch their eye they won’t bother to read what’s inside.” -Marilyn Monroe
At times, it’s easy to get caught up in a BDSM lifestyle. Submissives and Masters alike are prone to believing in the stereotypes often associated with adventurous sex lives. Living a BDSM lifestyle doesn’t always focus on sex however, leaving many men and women struggling to find how they fit into the BDSM mold. Once efforts to incorporate sex into every aspect of every single day have been exhausted, it’s understandable to be lost and confused. The definition of a submissive, or Master for that matter, doesn’t revolve around sex however but personality and overall desire.
Recently I’ve been forced to change my daily habits and this change has brought with it a new consideration into how I define myself as a submissive living a BDSM lifestyle. I’d like to pretend I don’t still struggle with the classic idea of submissive beauty… but I can’t. I see pictures of women tied up flawlessly with incredible amounts of rope, and think I don’t have a picture to match that beauty despite my Master enjoying such images. Every BDSM quote makes my blood race but also makes a part of me cringe in jealous disgust, as I don’t always feel capable of living up to such a pure idea of submission. No, living BDSM never has been an easy choice… but then again, there really wasn’t another choice to begin with.
Despite all these doubts, I’ve learned to grow confident. My Master has had to reassure me every step of the way, but I’m getting better at seeing through my feelings of insecurity. Part of being a submissive is longing to be found pleasing, and so, I’m stuck comparing myself to certain standards or concepts. The problem is… what really is the ideal submissive? Who decides what submission should look like? An easy answer would be to say my Master decides how submissive I am and what it looks like, but is this practical or even safe? If I solely define my submissive tendencies by my Master’s insight then what’s left for his discovery?
While I do certainly define certain parts of myself by my Master, I can’t define submissive beauty by his standard. I’ve never asked my Master what he considers the ideal submissive, or rather gotten no other answer than, “You.” which while sweet doesn’t help much. Being free to wander in a perpetual never ending search for what a beautiful submissive looked like, I found a surprising number of various answers. These answer caused me to delve deeper than the surface and ask the question I had been avoiding all along. I wasn’t questioning what beauty looked like in a submissive, but rather what a submissive looked like at all.
I think that’s why my Master could answer how he did every time I asked what the ideal submissive looked like to him. While I’m not the perfect submissive for everyone, I’m perfect for my Master’s needs. My Master sees me as submissive, beautiful, and therefore beautiful in my submission to him. This is also why I could never grasp my own beauty as a submissive, because I cannot physically submit to myself. As funny as it sounds, I really do believe this was the source of many initial conflicts within my mind. Now though, I’m learning to define submission in new ways.
True submission doesn’t always look well, submissive. I’m opinionated, and my Master enjoys watching me argue with his friends. On the surface, this behavior of challenging the opinion of men in particular doesn’t seem submissive in the least. Learning that such behavior is completely against my nature however, changes the issue entirely. For my Master, listening to me debate is a moment that showcases my beauty in submission. Cooking our meals might be routinely submissive to those outside the BDSM community, but it is in my knowing my Master doesn’t want to choose the food involved that really matters. The beauty of submission is definitely not what I first thought it was.
There are so many little ways I’ve learned to see submission in the daily routine. Most of these the average person could never pick up on, and many more no one but my Master will ever know to look for. My thoughts are a constant haven, though for my Master or myself I’m not sure. Submissives don’t always wear collars, rope, or even have any visible marks. Deep down though, there is a quality of submission no one will ever be able to take away. I am marked forever by my Master, and I am even more beautiful for it. True submission looks beautiful, and that’s all I ever need to remember. Beauty and submission are linked, and they go hand in hand perfectly.