Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides an experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. It is often based on some combination of Inner Beauty, which includes psychological factors such as personality, intelligence, grace, congeniality, charm, integrity, congruity and elegance, and Outer Beauty, (i.e. physical attractiveness) which includes physical factors, such as health, youthfulness, sexiness, symmetry, and complexion.
When men were asked, “What is beauty anyway?” their top answer was that a woman is beautiful if she is happy.Very interesting!
Studies show that when we recognize a woman’s face to be beautiful, we are subconsciously making a judgment about their genetic disposition to be healthy, free from disease and fertile. Hmmmm…I didn’t hear big boobs or tight buns as a criteria for beauty…They are nice, but not necessary.
Do you think you are beautiful?
Remember, physical beauty means something different to everyone. Personally, The Beast is one of the most beautiful “men” I have ever seen…
I want you to look in the mirror below. Who do you see? Right, “You” are in the mirror. Now look right into your eyes and repeat this…
“I am beautiful. I am talented, intelligent, loving, compassionate and sexy. I love myself. There is only one me and I am enough.”
Did you do it? Get back up to the mirror and say those four little sentences!
Remember this…You ARE beautiful and if you have any doubt at all, you should spend more time talking to yourself in the mirror and don’t stop talking until you believe it is true.
You are so nice! Really. Shucks… I just can't seem to get past the "I am b-b-ba-ugh" part. haha
Yay! I love this post. 🙂 I just did a post that mentioned a "plus size" model (she's a 12…totally average) that shook up the media. You should check out the interview on the Today Show, there's a link in my blog. 😀 I love that we as a nation are starting to make a sincere effort to promote beauty in all shapes and sizes!
I am a big supporter of Dove and Glamour's inclusion of Lizzie Miller. I would love to see these be the norm versus special campaigns. Beauty has become distorted.
I LOVED this! What a way to start the day!
There's a quote (I don't know who said it & I'm too lazy to look up my quote notebooks) that says that calling one category of women beautiful is a crime against all women.
I think that sums up my view on this issue perfectly.
This is a sore subject for me since I grew up being told I was ugly. Many hours of therapy later and a whole lotta self-esteem building, I no longer think I am ugly. BUT it was still hard for me to say I am beautiful until…I became pregnant (see dedicated post Most Beautiful Woman in the World . suddenly, i was the hottest chick in town and no one could tell me otherwise. LOL!
I thought I was done replying to this post. I guess I have more mixed feelings on the subject than I realized. While it's nice to be thought of as beautiful, I still cringe (and rebel) at the compliment (label?). In a twisted way, it's just as bad as being called ugly. Why? Because it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about my looks unless I believe it myself. I think I need to go back to the mirror and repeat the mantra you posted :-}
What a great post!
This is a message that every girl should be taught in school. There are so many types of true beauty and it is sad the distortion of it they are selling to us.
Thanks.
What a fabulous post,BRAVO!!!
I loved the dove clip and I agree you must love yourself before anyone else can love you.
Smooches,
Sassy Chica
I know they touch the pics up, but its amazing to see that! I am beautiful and so are you!
Great post! I always love reading your blog!
Thank you for the reminder.
Loved this, you out did yourself girl!
And I am even going to get off the computer and go to bed with this post ending the day for me!
Great post! 🙂 I've always struggled with low self-esteem issues.
The mirror thing makes me think of that SNL skit with Al Franken… You should add: "…and gosh darnit, people like me!" 😉
This is an incredible post and you are so right. I have horribly low self-esteem and I think I inherited it from my mother…trying desperately not to pass this on to my two young daughters. I often wonder if I praise them too much for every little thing…? Also laughing about the comment above mine re: SNL skit! Used to love those!
powerful….