Thursday, April 18, 2013

real beauty



*IF THE VIDEO DOESN'T WORK, CLICK HERE TO SEE IT ON YOUTUBE*

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

That's the age old saying. It's true... everyone sees everything through a different lens. This is even more evident when we look at ourselves versus what those around us see when they look at us. I cannot even tell you how moving this commercial is. Every time I watch it, I tear up. (I'm choosing to believe it has nothing to do with hormones. haha)

I'll be the first to admit that I am not kind to myself. I've always had a love/hate relationship with my body... and with food. That's a story for another time though. Through this they found that only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful. That's asinine. 4%?! Seriously. I know that I, just as much as anyone, wants to know that I'm not alone. Whether it be about a life changing event or my hatred for a reality tv personality but to know that I am not alone, to this extent, about this subject makes my heart sad. Where did we go wrong? When did we start allowing ourselves to put ourselves down so very far on the totem pole? I know deep down that I am beautiful in those special ways only I can be. I will never be a model and I don't want to be. I will never have perfect skin or perfect hair. My calves will always be bigger than I like from years of dance and I will have a bubble butt and tree trunks for legs because I was just built that way. That doesn't make me (un)beautiful. It makes me, me.

I think as girls we grow into women and go through phases of self-conscious feelings and worries about our beauty, both inside and out. It's part of growing and learning who you are and who you want to become. I'm still going through that but I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I will never be perfect, no one will, but you can reach a point where you love yourself and you put that love for yourself first. Some days are better than others for me and I'm sure they are for some of you too but I genuinely feel like each day I am a little more comfortable in my skin, now matter how it looks. We live in a generation where women are pushing boundaries everyday and whether you love or hate them (Lena Dunham comes to mind) they are proving you can be exactly who you are and it's okay to want that.

There are so many tangents that could be taken about from this video. Weight. Sexual Preference. Gender Equality. Food Addiction. Gender Roles. You name it, I could get there like a game of celebrity six degrees of separation but that isn't why I wanted to share this. I wanted to share this because it touched me. It made me want to share with you not only the video but to be able to tell you all that I think you are beautiful inside and out. Whether you think so or not. Whether we have ever met or not. Don't be afraid to believe it... you were meant to. It's so much easier said then done (believe me, I know) but it can be done. I know that to be true.

Has anyone else seen this video? How did it touch you? I'd love to know!

xoxohannah

1 comment :

  1. I saw the video a couple of days ago, and it moved me greatly also, as I've always struggled with certain aspects of my body and physical appearance too. If nothing else, it reassured me that at least others may have a different, and better, perception of me than I do myself! And by the way, Hannah, I do think you are a one-of-a-kind, beautiful-inside-and-out young woman! :)

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