Beautiful. Alluring. Attractive. Cute. Stylish. Elegant. Handsome. Sexy. Gorgeous. Pretty. Graceful. Desirable.
Do you use any of these words to describe yourself?
Unfortunately we live in such a shallow society. Everywhere you look you see attractive people on magazine covers, billboards, commercials, movies, t.v. shows, or even sitting right next to you. Those people are all “beautiful.” It’s enough to make some of us feel inadequate; like we will never measure up. I know I’ve felt it. Have you?
Why do we compare ourselves to others? Look around. Open your eyes and you will see beauty. This world is full of beautiful and unique people. Everyone is different and everyone is beautiful. Look in the mirror. You are beautiful.
I know we have all heard the saying “Beauty comes from within.” It’s true. But why don’t we believe it? Negative body image has become such a huge problem in our world. According to dosomething.org 91% of women are not happy with their bodies, so they diet to achieve their ideal body shape. Their “ideal” body shape is often a completely different shape than their own and even with dieting, it’s not likely they’ll achieve it. If you were born short and curvy, you aren’t going to become tall and skinny by dieting! Only 5% of women naturally have the body type portrayed in the media. Why do 91% of us women desire something that only 5% of us have?
Love who you are. Love who God made you to be. We will never learn to love who we are if we keep comparing ourselves to other people and counting all the ways in which we’ll never measure up. Our identity should not be based on how we look. Iconic fashion designer, Coco Chanel had it right when she said,
“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”
Be yourself. It is that simple. Decide to see yourself as beautiful, because you are! Decide to stop comparing yourself to someone else. Decide to accept who you are, inside and out, flaws and all! Accept that in time outward beauty will fade and the beauty that remains will be who you are within. Radiate YOUR beauty from the inside out!
THE Sarah Rule 