Greetings Loyal Readers!
Close your eyes for a moment… close your eyes and think ‘beautiful’… picture someone you think is ‘beautiful.’ Now, open your eyes, who did you see? Jennifer Lopez? A Kardashian? A tall thin nameless blonde? Seriously folks, we have a problem! How many of you can, with honesty, say they saw themselves while closing their eyes? I believe it would be safe to say that the answer is zero.
And why not? You ARE beautiful! But funny how we rarely think of ourselves, when we think ‘beautiful’. Like I said, we have a problem. We do not always see true beauty as it is in the real world. So, here is another question. What is beauty? There are some mixed messages out there!
Society defines beauty (women) as thin, glamourous, flawless skin, large chest and booty, but only proportionally… well, really only if your waist is thin. Your hair should be longer, trendy, always in place. Your make-up should be perfect, and if you can’t make that so, cosmetic procedures are always there to help you fix a little here or there. You should dress in style, and following all the latest trends.
But what about our inner beauty? Our inner spirit? The happiness and joy that can only be found in moments of true beauty?
Last month, I spent an evening with some girlfriends and yummy Mexican food. We decided to take a picture to share on social media. It was a memory of a great evening. To me, it was a picture that was true beauty. It showed three women having a good time and sharing laughs. I posted it on my social media page. The next day, one of those friends texted me. She asked me to take the picture down. She apologized and said, ‘I’m sorry C, maybe we can post pictures after I lose a few more pounds.” I took the picture down, but it made me sad. I deleted a memory of true beauty because a beautiful friend didn’t want the world to see her a few pounds heavier than she was 10 years ago. Yes, we most certainly, have a problem.
A very good friend of mine recently shared (on Facebook) a photo documentary of an obese woman. The photo collage is a portrayal of how she believes the world sees her. It was passionate, powerful, and an insightful snapshot of our society’s impact on self-esteem. My beautiful friend said she saw this photo show immediately following a beach vacation. She admitted that prior to this experience, if she saw someone in a bikini, she may have judged whether or not they ‘should’ have been wearing one in public, but now she is inspired to see the true beauty of women around her. She says, “Be Beautiful!” If you feel beautiful in a bikini, you are beautiful!
We simply shouldn’t be dictated by a faceless media, or by faceful celebrities. Yes I realize faceful is not a real word (or at least not one you will find in the dictionary). But in this context faceful simply describes those who are only viewed as beautiful when they have a face full of make-up, cosmetic adjustments, and cannot take a picture of themselves without trying for 15 minutes to find the only beautiful and perfect angle. It’s a face full of something, but not true beauty.
This little soapbox is the inspiration for my new social movement/contest. I want you to share your beautiful moments on my Facebook page (Ask Me Miss C). Take pictures! Share your beauty! Sharing your beauty will help others to see their own beauty… AND the beauty all around them. This is important, because we most certainly have a problem, and the way to fix this problem? Take over! No longer allow a faceful media to dictate our self-image, let’s define our own!
Join the #BeBeautifulYou! Movement:
1. Take pictures! We want to see recent and new pictures of you in moments of true beauty! Don’t edit your pictures, do not use photo shop, just show joyful moments of you, you with family, you with friends. (See the theme? You must be in your pictures)!
2. Share your pictures on social media using #BeBeautifulYou! And don’t forget to tag me (Ask Me Miss C). You may also share directly to my page with the same hashtag.
3. #BeBeautifulYou! Movement will begin June 20 and run through July 31st.
4. ALL postings will be entered into a random prize drawings.
5. Post as often as you like!
6. Share your true beauty, share the movement! #BeBeautifulYou
Blessings,
—Miss C
