who says beauty is only skin deep?

             We live in society that is obsessed with the physical appearance. We grow up watching commercials that tell us we need to look better, with magazine spreads that present flawless airbrushed models, and Hollywood actresses who diet for a living. Women today are facing an identity crisis. We see ourselves as inadequate- unable to live up to our society’s standards of beauty. As a result we spend hundreds of dollars on makeup and hair products. We try dozens of diets to make our bodies look the way society tells us they should. We compare ourselves to every other woman walking down the street in hopes that we are more beautiful than them, but we never feel like we are. Our self-esteem spirals out of control as we become more and more obsessed with physical appearance.

            The results of this can be devastating to a woman; eating disorders, self-esteem issues, illness, self-mutilation, self-loathing, isolation, and shame. Our society’s obsession has thrust women into a vicious cycle, and we often feel alone in this. Most women remain silent through their struggle, not wanting to seem weak or broken by the enormous pressure. The overriding issue is one that begins deep inside of each of us.

            Every woman has a desire to be loved. We all want to be loved and adored by our friends, family, and spouses. We believe that in order to be loved we must be beautiful. Our idea of beauty is one that is deeply flawed. We listen to what our society tells us is beautiful; we are constantly coming into contact with pictures of what a beautiful woman should look like, in movies, on television and in magazines. We compare ourselves to these images, and find ourselves lacking in every area. We believe that we cannot be loved, we cannot be beautiful as we are right now, and instead we have to strive for something else, something unattainable. We don't realize this is unattainable, because it is all we know, and all we see. So, we reach for it, believing that we will only be beautiful once we attain it. Until then, we are not worthy, we are not beautiful, and we cannot truly be loved.

We believe that if we could just be beautiful, everything else will fall into place. We see beauty as a gateway to love, comfort, and security. As a result, we fear beauty. Because if we are putting all of our hope into it, we can also be completely broken by it. We are afraid of what not being beautiful means; will we be loved if we are not beautiful? We devote our lives to the quest of attaining physical perfection.

-Compliments of "Una Bella Vita Blog"

this is so so true. 

it's sad what society has come to these days...women should love themselves for who they are no matter what others think of them. 

in the end, if you can't love yourself, you'll never be able to let another love you.

xoxo

{L}