How many times have we, as women, been told by the media that we are not thin enough, that our bodies are not beautiful as they naturally are, and that we need to change in order to be “beautiful?” We are bombarded by these messages day in and day out on television, movies, magazines, and advertisements. We have been raised in a society that pushes people to judge each other and ourselves by our appearances first. Our society is so obsessed with the idea of perfection that it leads all of its citizens down a path of self-loathing and envy.
Often times, the first thing I do when I meet a new woman is I compare myself to her. I don’t want to, but it is the first thing my mind skips to. Not only does this usually lead to me feeling like utter crap, but it is completely unfair to myself or to the other girl. First off, the first thing we judge others by should not be their physical appearance, but rather their personality. At the end of the day, our outwards appearance does not really matter. Not only will it fade away with time, but it does not reflect who you are as a person. You are more than just your skin.
Secondly, everyone is beautiful in their own way. I know this sounds completely cheesy, but it’s true. No one shares the same type of beauty and that uniqueness is what makes us all beautiful. That person that you may be envious of for their looks may be looking at you wishing they could look more like you. This cycle is vicious and it leads to all of us forgetting to appreciate ourselves. We are all blessed to be here together and we should be focusing on our opportunities to create a better future rather than on our appearances.
It is easy to forget this when our society focuses so greatly on a woman’s looks rather than on her talents or skills. Actresses are not asked about the movie they were in, but rather on how they lost weight for the role. Singers are not commended on the effort put into their songs or shows, but rather on their makeup tricks and fashion trends.
Magazine covers portray picture perfect models edited carefully with Photoshop while screaming titles at us like, “Lose Weight Fast!” and “Tips to Enhance your Beauty!” It’s no wonder we all began to obsess with how our bodies look and become desperate to match the beauty of celebrities or models. When we don’t match those appearances, we often become depressed and ashamed of our own bodies.
