For years, society has put the expected standards of women's bodies in many different media outlets as well as children's movies, books, and toys. From a young age, I would play with barbies noticing that they had long legs, long blonde hair, perfect facial features and long flat torsos. Fast forward about 10 years and I was a freshman in high school trying to achieve those standards of beauty. I thought that if I plastered on makeup, wore tight clothes that revealed my body that people would like me more. In reality, I liked me less. I would always critique my body and I would, often times, cry when I would go shopping for clothes because the clothes that my peers wore, didn't fit or look the same on me.
It wasn't until this past year or so that I have come to love myself.
I love my body for what it is and I could care less what other people think.
Yes, my thighs touch.
Yes, I have cellulite on my body.
Yes, my stomach giggles when I laugh.
All those things make me, uniquely me.
It is hard for a girl to grow up in this day and age, even from a young age.
Media has portrayed women figures as big breasted, small wasted, unrealistic women.
Have you ever really looked at a Disney princess and compared her portion size to reality?
As you can see in this picture, someone has taken the wastes of these princesses and retouched them to the average size of a female today.
For a little girl to look at these princesses and then look at herself, and wish she "looked as pretty as them," is heartbreaking.
Now, I am in no way bashing women who have naturally smaller wastes, I want every girl to feel beautiful in her own type of way.
Everyone has something about themselves they don't like, but if we can take those "flaws" and own them, the world would be a happier place.
Together we can change the way society views beauty if we view ourselves as beautiful first.
The magazine companies will stop photoshopping the model's bodies.
The girl in the dressing room will not be discouraged when her jeans just don't fit right.
The mom of three will be able to go out in a bikini to the pool and enjoy herself.
The girl who is dressing to impress a boy, will dress to impress herself.
The girl with dark brown hair won't go to the hair salon trying to achieve a bleach blonde hairstyle, ultimately frying her hair.
The little girl with curly hair won't beg her mom to make it "straight like Elsa's."
Every flaw that we are given, makes us who we are.
Could you imagine if everyone looked exactly the same?
The world would be such a boring place.
Together, we can make a change.
Together we can start loving ourselves and make a new definition of beautiful; being yourself.
