What constitutes someone being beautiful? Is it how skinny are girl is?, how toned a guy's muscle's are?, or how much makeup we can put on our face? Beauty is defined differently in different parts of the world. For people in the United States beauty is everything. Today on the Oprah Show, Oprah had Jessica Simpson on. To see more about the show click here http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Beauty-Around-the-World-with-Jessica-Simpson. Jessica Simpson may not be the greatest role model but she is a beautiful girl. She was talking about how the tabloids tell girls that they are not beautiful. Jessica Simpson has been in the tabloids alot because of her weight fluctuating. Magazines talking about the weight of different celebrities directly influences how girls think about themselves. Girls get a low self esteem due to the fact that they see beautiful girls in magazines that are a size 0 and have flawless skin. The magazines talk about how each one of us should look and which products we need to buy. They want us to believe if we buy a certain product we will feel a certain way, then a new product will come out and because our skin didn't totally clear up from the first product we go out and buy the other product. The same goes for weight loss products, why do you think there are so many on the market?.
Real beauty is our personalities, our souls, our dreams. Society may tell us that we are not good enough and that we'll never be good enough. I have just realized within the last couple months that I am beautiful. That people see a beautiful girl inside and out. The thing that still gets me hung up a bit is my RSD. Due to my hypersensitive skin I am not able to wear jeans. I also have to wear a scarf on my right arm to be able to wear a sweater. It seems that some people are not able to get past the fact that I wear a scarf on my right arm. I simply do this to protect my arm from 1) being touched and 2) the different fabrics from my sweaters. I do like to be stylish though and love to mix and match outfits together. Makeup is another favorite of mine even though it conforms to the western standards of beauty. Real beauty is what is going to ultimately attract people to you and keep them there.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone is going to agree on who is cute, or what looks good. What society thinks of beauty will continue to evolve just like it has over the last couple hundreds years.
This is a really good point. Beauty is on the inside even more so than the outside.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a long time to come to the same realization. That I am beautiful. After getting RSD I felt even worse than I had before (I got it at 17, but RSD is a second illness). It wasn't until these past few months I came to realize that I am beautiful and that beauty does not equal perfect skin and looks.
My RSD still irks me especially since people always laugh at the big, soft, floppy mitten I wear for my arm/hand in the winter, but it's all I can stand to put on my hand. Why people feel the need to laugh or comment...I don't understand.
Those that see the beauty in a person, including their flaws, are the ones to keep around.
Make-up is...an art form, for your face? I enjoy make-up too, I think it's fun to play around with different colours and looks.
As for that "flaw-less" skin, have you seen this video from Dove (The Evolution of Beauty)? It's really eye-opening about the media's take on beauty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHqzlxGGJFo
You make some very valid points about what the media puts out there for all us females to emulate, and we all fall for it at some point in time.(Some more than others....not talking about me or anything...hahahahaha).
ReplyDeleteAs for you wearing a scarf on your arm, or Ande wearing a mitten on her hand, I always invite my clients to think, tell, and believe that the things you use are things you 'need' to use so think of them as your pet. Talk to them as you would a small puppy or kitten, and when someone makes a comment about them, simply say: "This is my protector, and my friend. She/he (whichever you decide) comforts me by making me feel safe. You can laugh, or you can empathize...the choice is yours, but I would think you wouldn't want to laugh at something that means so much to me, would you?" That usually gets them to think, and learn about 'you' and question about 'RSD' as well. Give it a try and let me know how it worked out for you. =)
~Make it an Amazing day.... Every Day!~
Blessings,
Coach Marla
Western culture completely objectifies women, and it always has. I am afraid it always will to some extent. What is important is giving your children a strong foundation, faith in themelves and god, so that these images do not effect their self-image. It's not the images that createl low self-esteem, it is what they touch inside of us.
ReplyDeleteWhen we stop focusing on what others think of us and start focusing on our life's purpose, materials and vanity lose importance.