We find any variation of the sunset, night sky, sunny day, fall afternoon or fresh snow beautiful. Why is it that we accept the difference of beauty for this Earth-- but not the people on it?
Our society's beauty standards have been skewed for a long time. We only find beauty in blonde haired, blue eyed girls that weigh about a hundred pounds with big breasts and butt. When did we, as a society, choose this small percentage of society and say they were beautiful and nobody else was? Obviously, I'm slightly exaggerating how society's beauty standards are, but I'm not far off. Now, you've got to have the perfectly thick eyebrows, big lips, and a straight, radiant smile.
Same goes for men. When did we decide that to be an attractive male had to have big broad shoulders and big arm muscles with a jaw sharper than broken glass? When did we decide that they have to have abs?
We all have fat. It's natural. Yes, it's okay to be skinny, but it's also okay to have a little extra skin and meat on your bones. We are finally starting to accept different body types, but why has it taken so long? We have to accept and embrace all of the love handles and dad bods. We have to realize that not everybody looks like a runway model, and that we can't base our attractions solely off of physical characteristics.
Growing up built a bit bigger, I was subject to a lot of bullying for my size. At a young age, I was lead to believe that I was less beautiful than any of my other classmates because I was heavier. I had periods where I couldn't look at myself in the mirror because I felt that my weight determined my beauty. I couldn't go shopping because every junior's clothing item is cut in for the "perfect" hourglass figure that I didn't have. I found comfort in oversized clothing because it hid every imperfection I thought I had. The bullying I endured destroyed my self image and put me mentally in a place no boy or girl should ever have to be because of their physical appearance.
The truth is, my body does not determine my beauty. Beauty standards in this society are skewed far past the shape of your body. You don't need to look like the girls on instagram or on the magazine covers. You don't need to have bodybuilder muscles. You need to find your happiness in your own skin, and love yourself no matter what number pops up on the scale.
