Truth: “You are more beautiful than you think”

“It's troubling. I should be more grateful of my natural beauty. It impacts the choices and friends that we make, the jobs we apply for, how we treat our children. It impacts everything. It couldn't be more critical to your happiness.”

~ Florence

Dove Real BeautySketches Ad, April 2013

The post I started writing for this week wasn't feeling right. It's a topic I do want to share but it's just not quite ready, which was causing me some anxiety about not having anything to post today! Then the Dove Real Beauty Sketches ad was splashed all over Facebook yesterday.

The last comment from the ad:

“Our self perceptions are generally kind of harsh and unbecoming when really, that's not how the world sees us. We spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix the things that aren't quite right. And we should spend more time appreciating the things that we do like.”

reminded me of one of the last points I made in my previous post:

“I wonder... if we could focus on looking for more of what we liked about past relationships – and less on running from what we don't like – would it change the way we engage in future relationships?”

(from TheA**hole and The Prince)

There are perhaps so many different ways we could alter that comment and apply it to a million different things in life, like:

I wonder... if we could focus more on appreciating the things that we do like -and less on trying to fix the things that aren't quite right- would it change the way we engage in daily life?

Would we be happier?

Further, I was flabbergasted by the statistic quoted above the video on the dove.com page:

“...only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.” 

Which means, statistically, not even 1 of these 12 women considers herself beautiful.

I wrote and shared a travel journal 5 years ago that was inspired by a question from a Sicilian about being a Beautiful Woman. I wanted to share it again in response to this ad and that 4% statistic. However my first thought while re-reading it was “gosh that sounds a little arrogant I can't believe I posted it 5 years ago! How young and naive I was, which I can of course now see through wiser eyes framed by laugh lines and other early signs of ageing...”

I had second thoughts about posting it here... But this blog is about being vulnerable! About being truly seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen. Not only by allowing others to see me(us) that way; but also to see myself(ourselves) that way. One way to do that is to confidently embrace my(our) own beauty, and to celebrate the beauty of others. And much of what I said 5 years ago continues to ring true, even if my confidence in it ebbs and flows at times.

So stay tuned, this week's 2^nd instalment will be a re-sharing at that travel journal. Until then – tell me, what is it you appreciate about your own beauty?