Perfectionism

Author

Heather Shields, Master Trainer

A few years back, I was listening to a book in my car (a great book I might add), called The Perfection Detox, and the author @petrakolber shared some details, (among other things) about how women tend to approach beauty. Some interesting statistics that she shared from the Dove Self Esteem Project: (please take a mindful moment to digest each point). 1). Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful 2). Only 11% of young girls globally, are comfortable describing themselves as beautiful YET: 3). 72% of girls feel TREMENDOUS pressure to BE beautiful 4). 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that IS beautiful, but they cannot see their OWN beauty 5). 54% of women globally, agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst critic I don’t know about you, but when I heard those statistics, it sort of broke my heart.  Why is it so easy for us to see beauty everywhere else, but not see it in ourselves? Why are we so hard on ourselves and so focused on our appearances, and how we perceive them to compare to others? Your body does not define your beauty. Don’t define beauty the way that the world defines beauty. We all have flaws, and, trust me, that person you’re comparing yourself to on social media, is not all that they appear to be. Focus instead on your health, your function, and most importantly, your inner beauty. Clothe yourself in kindness, meekness, gentleness, humility, and love. Set your new years resolutions based on that. Consider the perks of having a strong, healthy functional body- rather than one that meets a certain aesthetic. If you focus on making healthier choices so that you can be more functional, the weight loss will naturally follow. Then use that healthy body to take care of others and bring God’s love and light to the rest of the world. I promise you, you have your own beauty- even if you currently fail to see it. Your creator made up the way that He intended for you to be, and that in itself, is a beautiful thing.