real women are not perfect and perfect women are not real.
the images of beauty sold to us by the media have been so contorted and recolored, that they result in creatures inhuman.
images of beauty which are humanly impossible to achieve.
yet, we are willing to do anything and everything, to sacrifice our well being in order to meet society’s standards for beauty.
what about your standards?
i wonder what your perception of beauty would be if hollywood wasn’t telling you that your self-worth was reliant upon your appearance or what the number read on the scale.
maybe you would recognize your beauty lies in your individuality; in the little things that make you unique.
because although mannequins live in a world of perfection, every mannequin is the same.
they have the same body, eyes, proportions, lips.
there is nothing special about them.
our differences are what make us interesting and set us apart as individuals.
our flaws are what make us beautiful.
we are human, and thus imperfect.
we cannot stop the media from selling its false promises of beauty and distorted images.
we can however, refuse to buy into them.
we can choose what and whom we surround ourselves with.
make the choice to accept your body for what is.
a beautifully imperfect vessel which carries your soul.
unique and one of a kind.
and always worthy of love.
because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister.
no matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people.
it is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.
each day, we are given the opportunity to make choices of many kinds.
some are big, and impact our life greatly.
while others are smaller, and their effects may be less apparent.
then there are those decisions that affect people close to us, and in turn we are also affected.
all the same, no choice we make, is a wrong one.
a particular decision may lead us slightly astray or down a dead-end path, but we always have the power to choose a different road and make a new choice that will lead to a better future.
we are seldom aware of the gravity of a particular choice at the time of making it.
often times, only hindsight can reveal the wisdom of a faulty decision or a well-made choice.
nevertheless, no choice is without importance in the overall picture of our lives, both the good, and the bad.
we learn, grow, and become stronger from each experience that we face and overcome.
and at the same time, no choice is all-powerful in determining our future.
change is omnipresent.
we always have opportunities to make the right choices.
the world is the lock.
but you are the key.
the recipe for change rests within you.
“although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” helen keller
life is full of hardships and challenges.
we can choose to meet them fearfully or in a spirit of welcome.
to choose fear, is almost as if to say, “i won’t take the risk because i might lose”.
and inevitably, this prevents us from ever overcoming the obstacle and winning—from truly finding freedom from them.
if we welcome the hardship however, we acknowledge that life is made up of losses as well as victories—of gains as well as pain.
it is the hardship we are faced with that allows us to appreciate the serenity and beauty that that life has to offer.
in meeting life’s struggles with optimism, we find the courage to persist, despite the odds.
and it is this persistence which leads to success and recovery.
as long as you keep taking steps forward, you will reach the end of the dark tunnel.
you may take two steps forward and one step back each time.
your journey may be slow, but persistence and determination will get you to the end.
and you will reach the light.
only you can set yourself free.
one step at a time.
