Let's try an exercise together. Go into your bathroom and look into the mirror. Don't start frowning or picking at your face, just look. What do you see? Do you instantly notice blemishes, wrinkles, and faults? Many of us do. We only see what's wrong with ourselves and not what's beautiful.
This is the very subject of a new campaign by Dove called "
Real Beauty Sketches". A group of women are asked to describe themselves to a professional sketch artist. Each one seems to focus on her shortcomings. Once the artist has finished the first sketch and the subject has left the room, someone else who is familiar with the woman comes in and gives his or her description of the same person. The end result is amazing. Just watch.
It's so wonderful that it made me tear up a bit, and then smile. I've struggled with self perception my whole life. My freckles, my hair, my nose, the bags under my eyes. You would think that being a model would make me a little less critical of myself, but it doesn't. When I'm passed up for a job, it's often because of my appearance. Somehow the way I look doesn't fit into the clients' perception of how the product should be represented. It's difficult not to take that rejection personally. I am a work in progress, but aren't we all. Everyday we must look past our reflections, past our crows feet and tired eyes and see what other people see. We must see beyond those self-critical shortcomings and tell the mirror image that we are pretty no matter what. Let's embrace our beauty. Let's embrace ourselves.
Chime in: Are there things that you don't like about your appearance that no one else sees? Do you think that you are beautiful?
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