Society is a liar.
The other day I was scanning the magazine racks at Walmart. They were full of the typical shenanigans with each cover graced by a ridiculously beautiful woman with less coverage than a local high school football game. Every snippet of text gave its voice on how to make YOU more beautiful and picturesque.
A Busy Woman’s Guide To Beauty. How To Lose That Belly Bulge. Sexy and Gorgeous Make-up Tutorial. Hot Celebrity Bodies and How To Look Like Them.
At that moment I went through a 360 degree of emotions starting at a scared little girl with no self-esteem to a woman who is entirely and royally pissed off. Have I believed this crap? Is that how I honestly believe true beauty is defined? By being thin, blemish free, glowing eyes, a flawless body with the perfect proportion to boob to butt ratio, impeccable hair, and no imperfections?
And for you fellas, the expectation of beings “The Man”. Some have the sexist view of being physically powerful: big, strong, muscular, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap across a river in a single bound, carry all the groceries to the kitchen in one trip.
The problem is that society’s perception of beauty has a tendency to change. This in turn leaves us chasing our tails in search for the unflawed picture-perfect appeal in order to be held to humanity’s ever changing standard. It is an inferno of self-hatred! The pressure of societal standards leads to low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and serious diseases such as anorexia. Quite frankly, it can even affect the way you make some awesome and worthwhile priorities for yourself.
True beauty cannot and should not be defined. There is always going to be someone who is shorter or taller than you. Someone who weighs less or more than you. Someone who has smaller or bigger waist than you. Someone with a flatter or rounder stomach than you. Beauty cannot be simply defined by an infinite list of traits or textbook set of measurements. But guess what?…
There will never be another you. Having the confidence to recognize your own uniqueness and rocking that uniqueness is the sexiest thing you can ever do.
Beauty is the essence of you. Your body does not define you. You define your body. And everything else that encompasses you. You see, beauty flows from your heart, from your spirit, and from your values.
Don’t underestimate your power by comparing yourself to others, listening to that negative self-talk, and measuring your self-worth by the number on the scale. It is time to start realizing what really matters.
In the words of Ashton Kutcher:
Dear Society,
You suck. And bring it on.
HP out.
