Let’s talk about beauty standards and pressures that we feel in society today. 

Clearly social media has made it even easier to feel insecure than ever before. But insecurity isn’t a new thing its always been around always will be. 

The problem isn’t that people are contouring,  getting botox, fillers, extensions, lifts, tucks whatever it may be. 

The Problem is:

The attention these things get. 

People get these things done and flaunt themselves and their body and they get attention for it. 

It’s hard to separate what we see from what is real.

The problem is we’re human and it’s hard not to feel like a blimp when so much of what you see is people dressed well, done up and perfectly polished and you’re at home in your sweats with a zit patch on your face.  

The world is shallow. The world is vain. The world puts plastics on a pedestal, puts external beauty as the highest form of recognition, of love, of acceptance.

Look we all know that what we see online we cant trust we don’t know if its real or not and it’s not worth our time to zoom in and pick other people apart and play detective that doesn’t do any good. 

What we can do

What we can do is choose to give the attention to what we feel matters. We cant control what other people do, we can control what we choose to consume, what we choose to believe about others and about ourselves. 

So what I suggest is when you see someone who looks like maybe they’ve had some work done, choose to assume that they did that for them not for anyone else, choose to assume that was the best decision for them. And not judge. Meaning don’t judge yourself for not looking like them and don’t judge them for what they choose to do either.  

Much easier said than done that is for sure! But if you want to stop feeling pressure from unrealistic beauty standards, i think its important to pay attention to the attention you’re giving these things. To the way you’re thinking about the beauty that you see. Because what you see online is not a mirror for what you should strive to look like or who you should strive to be. 

The Root

It’s all about the intent behind it. If you want to filler or you want a boob job, that’s great, get one! But don’t take to the gram with a selfie of your huge lips for the attention, don’t post a itsy bitsy bikini with your new girls front and center and post it for the world to see. 

Just do it because you wanted to not because you wnat to show everyone else how amazing you think you look! 

That is the problem in my opinion. 

The problem is the flaunting and the posting of the perfection. It’s not necessarily the procedures. If you’re doing it for you that’s one thing to me if you’re doing it to keep up or to show off or to flaunt that’s the issue. That’s the insecurity that just feeds more insecurity. 

If there’s pressure to look a certain way in order to feel good about yourself that’s the problem as well. 

Because truthfully that’s some inner work that needs to be done first.  Without that,  no amount of Botox, filler, cosmetic surgery will make you feel better. 

Maybe temporarily but it will fade. 

The Truth

The amount of money spend the amount of time spent on appearance would be muchbetter spent and much more rewarding in the areas that really count, that  really will make you feel better about yourself from within. 

I know i’m going to sound  like your mom or your grandma, but true beauty really is what’s within. How you treat yourself, how you treat other people, including those who you disagree with! 

How you talk to yourself, and the unique parts about you. Thats beautiful. 

You could be the most outwardly beautiful person in the world and if you don’t feel good about who you are, you’re never going to be happy. 

Desire to be loved and accepted by yourself first, then those who you love, but never by the world.  

If we’re seeking love and acceptance  from the world or the masses, we’re going to lose ourselves along the way. We’re going to end up looking like everyone else, acting like everyone else, and that’s against gods plan for each of us. He truly made each of us unique for a specific reason, turn to him and allow him to help you uncover your worth because I promise you won’t find it trying to keep up with everyone else.

Now Act!

And of course I’m going to say to close this out, if you feel pressured or insecure due to unrealistic beauty standards of our day, I’d social media is killing your confidence and slowly turning you away from loving what’s unique and different about you. You don’t have to be there. It’s a choice you’re making everyday and you can choose to choose the path less traveled offline if you feel it will be better for you. 

Thanks for tuning into todays episode of taking life offline. I’d love to hear your take on beauty standards. It’s something that I think about often because I’m raising two young girls who will on day grow up and be teens and adults so I want to make sure I’m being a good example to them and helping them discover their beauty within themselves first and foremost before anything else. 

Hope you have an incredible week! And I’ll catch you next Monday. 

 

xx

Carly