Lately, I’ve been on a detox diet, mainly for health reasons yet I’ve been catching myself getting excited about the pounds I’ve been losing in the process. I am by no means overweight and this should not even be a concern for me but given that the modern day unrealistic ’standards of beauty’ also meet my eyes from time to time, it is fascinating to note that as aware as I deem myself to be, I still get affected by the messages which repeatedly seem to say; “Thin is beautiful, and we can never be too thin”.
Not to worry, I am not obsessing about my weight in any way and I’m generally not that interested since I’m focused on being and feeling healthy… but… I am interested in ’self-awareness’ and ’self-acceptance’, and so it becomes fascinating to note how women are portrayed in modern day society, through the many channels of media, and even to note that these ‘ideals’ affect me as well, as much as I deem myself to be completely aware of these ‘illusions’. I truly wonder if anyone in today’s western society is 100% immune to comparing themselves to the ‘ideals of beauty’.
Today’s society recognizes all too well labels such as; anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorders, and body dysmorphic disorder. It is said that about 50% of girls between 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight! And, about 80% of 13 year olds have attempted to lose weight. Now that’s absolutely insane! How women see themselves is completely different from how men perceive their bodies. Only about 10-15% of people with eating disorders are men, the rest is women. For women, our perceptions of our amazing bodies are often all but healthy and realistic, and it seems the ‘ideals of beauty’ are getting more and more skewed with the prevalent use of ‘photo re-touch’ softwares and manipulation of any and all perceived flaws. The truth is that the women we see in the magazines don’t even get to look like the women in the magazines!
Anyways, enough with my ranting… I discovered this great article on Telegraph Online. The author’s perspective is interesting and puts our obsession with ‘youth and beauty’ in a fascinating light. I encourage all women (and men) to read this article. When you’re done reading you may want to take note of other ads and articles on the page, it drives home the overall point. Everything we see is a manipulation of our perceptions of ourself. We, the female version of mankind, spend SO much money just to feel good about ourselves and believe we LOOK GOOD so we’re a prime target for money makers. Yet, when it comes down to it, all we ever need is self-awareness and self-acceptance. That is the foundation of REAL LOVE, REAL beauty and everlasting happiness.
Check Out this Article: Women and Body Image: A Man’s Perspective
Related Post: Whatever Happened to REAL Beauty?
Who are you “really” BE-ing? Are you the ‘odd one out’?
Every single one of us has been raised with some ‘conditioning’ and we learn how to act and ‘behave’, and how to ‘stay out of trouble’ and ‘get approval’. Then as the years pass and we mature and grow into our independence we may choose to search and discover our ‘true’ identity? Doesn’t everyone want to simply BE who we really are, and long for the strength and courage to effortlessly BE that, whatever that may BE? I wonder…
Whether we give our ‘identity’ much conscious thought or not, I wouldn’t be surprised if most of us see ourselves quite differently from the way we’re perceived by others? Perhaps you’re the extrovert in your ‘clan’ but as much as there is the social, outspoken side to you there’s also the quiet, reflective persona that many, if not most, never get the honor of meeting. Maybe it is the other way around and you’re the quiet, humble and somewhat mysterious one on the outside, but within you dwells a dynamic performer longing to shine through ever so brightly.
Who are you really? And why are you here? And why in this specific point in time? If you could’ve chosen any other time in history, and chosen any other family, town and country to belong to, why would you have picked NOW as your time to show up and BE here? What is this all about? What are you here to do or who are you here to BE?
These types of questions have always been roaming around in my head (and soul). A part of me was always quiet and observant, taking note of the life outside of me, noticing everyone else’s life stories while I was somewhat disconnected with my own. In a way I didn’t feel like I truly belonged in my family, or in the neighborhoods we lived in or in the schools I went to, or even in the country I was born in. I remember this lonely feeling of not ‘fitting in’ and almost feeling as if I’d been misplaced. I didn’t get it. I felt ‘weird’. There had to be something ‘wrong’ with ME. I loved my family, and loved my friends, neighbors and fellow countrymen but I absolutely felt like the ‘odd one out’.
Interestingly enough, I’ve learned to love being the ‘odd one out’ because that simply means that I’m BE-ing ME! And, guess what!? Every single one of us is unique and different. I’ve had the pleasure and honor of meeting so many people, from all over the world who’ve talked about this same exact feeling of ‘not fitting in’ and being the ‘odd one out’. I guess we’re all much more alike than we think we are:)
What if being ‘odd’ was the norm? When are we going to fully embrace and nurture our amazing differences? Life definitely wouldn’t be as interesting if we didn’t have all these different colors to observe and enjoy. Even though our paths are different we’re all headed the same way. We’re here to grow and evolve, and shine as brightly as we can while we’re here. So here’s to BE-ing YOU! Go out there and bravely BE the ‘odd one out’ and put YOUR colorful mark on the world!
Related Post: “Here’s to the “crazy” ones…”
Posted in Designing ME, MY Life, Personal Growth and Development, Social Commentary | 2 Comments »