When I was a teenager and in college, I was obsessed with my looks. I can actually pinpoint the moment that I started to become this way – it was when an older brother of one of my good friends made an offhand remark about me being “chunky”, and I overheard him. I was so mortified by this that I basically stopped eating for 7 years. It wasn’t till another good friend nearly died of an eating disorder that I realized my need to stop fixating on what was on the outside and work at what was on the inside.
I think that lots of young women have similar stories. We all want to put our best, shining, beautiful face forward, and we allow society to dictate what that looks like. There’s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. I know for a fact that I feel a whole lot more energized when I at least brush my hair and teeth, wash my face, and attempt to look put-together as opposed to looking like a dust muffin. As my mother always says, the first thing you should do every morning is get dressed and put your shoes on. And this coming from a woman who had 10 children and arguably didn’t have a lot of spare time to devote to her appearance (even though I think she always looked beautiful!).
Because many of us have these similar stories and mindsets, it always interests and inspires me when I see popular culture taking a stand against the “perfect model” look. I love Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty”. I was impressed by this video and wanted to share it with you in case you haven’t already seen it. It follows a model’s image from start to finish, showcasing all of the changes and alterations that are made.
Is it any surprise that our idea of beauty is flawed?
In response to this mainstream fixation on “perfect” beauty, one guy has decided to use his talents to remind women that we’re beautiful just the way that God created us. Jonny Diaz, a former FSU baseball player with 2 brothers who have played at the professional level, wrote “A More Beautiful You”. If I could, I would make every young woman and girl understand the meaning behind this song.
To all my truly lovely readers, I hope that you remember that you’re beautiful just the way that you are 🙂
Yep – you’ve definitely proved yourself to be beautiful on the outside and the inside. It’s great to learn that now, before you have kids, so that you can teach your daughters and sons to love themselves.
Thank you thank you thank you! I’m glad I’m not the only one posting about this! I’m glad we are all opening up about our past eating disorders. It helps me when I hear about other peoples stories.
Great post. I love the Dove Real Beauty campaign. I did some researching on that first video you posted, and the woman in that isn’t even a model! Goes to show that anyone can look “beautiful” with makeup, lighting and Photoshop.
You’re beautiful just the way you are too!
Fantastic post!
I cry every time I hear this song. It reminds me of all of us. Me, my friends, my students. So true, and such a beautiful song. It’s good for my heart.
This is such a great message! I was 13 when my complicated relationship with food began, after reading about a celebrity who was my height but about 50 pounds lighter. It took a long time to get past those distorted messages.
Thank you for sharing. There are so many of us who feel “less than” if we are not a size 2 ,4 or 6, if our make up is not perfect, if we don’t have the perfect clothes. It’s time we all stand together and accept ourselves the way we are. That being said, I’m out the door to get a Big Mac! Enjoy your mini vacation!
awesome post!
I LOVE Dove for doing that campaign. I love that commercial too where they sing that song about all the faults they have… awesome!
hehe… I just said “sure” a lot in that sentence above… I’m a little out of it today!
wow that sure is an eye opener for sure
Great reminder! I think you’re beautiful just the way you are as well! =)
Thanks for posting this! I definitely needed the reminder today. And thanks for linking Jonny’s song – I’m curious where you heard it! I’ve been a fan of his for several years now and I’m so excited that he is getting so much publicity! My favorite song of his is still “Sarah Jo” – check it out sometime!