First, watch this. It's fifteen minutes. If you don't have time, everything below will still make sense.
Beauty Sickness TED talk
I really liked this. I am so sick of "beautiful" and "pretty" and the self-obsession our society breeds. I know it because I am a product of it. The only thing I disagree with that she says is to stop telling our girls they are pretty. Like she says in the beginning, wanting to be pretty is fine. Women naturally seek to be accepted for their features and feel "beautiful". Little girls are the same and will grow up the same---seeking that assurance that they are beautiful to the ones they most love.If they don't find that assurance or feel it at home---they will think something is wrong and go somewhere else for it. The important thing is to place the most emphasis on their other qualities---kindness, courage, patience, humility, willingness to forgive etc...AND to explain to them the reasons we do things.IE getting dressed to go to the store and doing their hair. My daughter always asks me "why".Instead of saying "because we can't go to the store looking messy" or "because we need to look good to go to the store" I say "It is because we need to keep ourselves clean. We need to brush our hair to keep it clean and healthy because we love our hair." We need to change our clothes to keep them and ourselves clean and use them for what they are for(pajamas-sleeping, play clothes-playing and everyday use, dresses-church or special events) because we are lucky to have so much clothes for so many different things. Beauty comes from caring enough about your body to take care of it and love it for what it is---not what it looks like.
on another note....
Every body has a different idea of what "taking care of your body and caring for it" means. To me, it means attempting to eat healthy, it means working out and being able to do the daily tasks with ease AND progress past those tasks towards athletic accomplishments (quicker mile, heavier weights, faster sprint, higher jump). The "AND" is added on there because I like athletic activities and games. I have fun doing it...it is a hobby of mine. It also means keeping up with hygiene and being okay with myself without any make-up on a daily basis. It means appreciating my bones and my muscles and everything they let me do. But, what I listed above is not the case for everyone.
Everyone cares for their body in different ways. Fitness is not a enjoyable hobby for everyone. Some people care for their bodies by keeping clean, eating healthy, mentally complimenting themselves. All of these things are great. But, I also feel like there is a trend settling in. First, let me say I strongly believe in ALWAYS loving yourself. No matter what. What I don't agree with is saying that you love your body enough the way it is, and then not caring for it. "I eat everything in the world that I want and I love my body" "I don't eat anything at all, and I finally love my body" "I never lift a foot or a weight, and I love my body" "I never brush my hair or keep myself clean, but I love myself for me" "I am always thinking negative things about my body and comparing it to others, but I really do love my body". Like I said, you should always love yourself for you. You should always love your body---it is THE BEST! But, sacrifice breeds love. And, if everyone truly loved their bodies, I think they would take more time to care for them, in the way they decide is right for them. But, neglecting them of the things they need to thrive (healthy foods, exercise, cleanliness, mental praise and positive thoughts) is the furthest thing from accepting and loving your body for what it is and what it can do for you in return.
on another note...
TIME. Time gets in the way of everything. Do the best you can to care for your body, in the way you can. Focus on what you CAN do, not what you can't. If you can't eat well because you are at work all of the time and you have kids and LIFE and can't make good lunches all of the time, try to workout and keep clean and keep your thoughts on yourself positive. If you really just can't get exercise into the schedule consistently, try to eat healthy and keep clean and have positive thoughts. If you just can't seem to do pretty much ANY of those things at this time (because you have a baby and everyone in your house has been sick for pretty much a month) then keep your thoughts positive and work in baby steps towards the time that you will be able to do things again. Never give up. Always keep trying. The time will come and you will be ready for the new challenges!
Rant over. Hopefully the point of this post was obvious. Loving yourself=Taking care of yourself. It is a never ending goal very worth striving for. What do you think about beauty and caring for our bodies?
