This is a really, real quote from a really, real lady:
"I've been that girl, flipping through magazines trying to find just one person who looked a little bit like me. And when I didn't find it I would start to think there's something wrong with the way that I looked."
Response to a Glamour article on real women's bodies.
And here's the wistful dream:
Stop comparing: to your darling starlet, to the cover of your pet magazine, to yourself five years ago. Cease staring at your sister's stomach to discern any trace of a stomach roll beneath her blouse. Desist browsing weekly magazines with fresh pictures of celebrity cellulite.
External body validation is excessively volatile. Build a buttress of impervious, internal confidence. Love your body exactly as it is, at this very instant. Cherish the strength of your legs, the curve of your neck, the grace of your fingers, the soft skin on your upper arms. No one else can tamper with your own admiration.
There is no universal ideal. One set of proportions does not fit all. One set of proportions will not even fit a single individual for an entire life.
Case in point: Marilyn vs. Audrey. Who is more beautiful? Marilyn self reported "a soft abdomen and short legs." Audrey Hepburn was self conscious about her large feet and prominent ears.
External body validation is excessively volatile. Build a buttress of impervious, internal confidence. Love your body exactly as it is, at this very instant. Cherish the strength of your legs, the curve of your neck, the grace of your fingers, the soft skin on your upper arms. No one else can tamper with your own admiration.
There is no universal ideal. One set of proportions does not fit all. One set of proportions will not even fit a single individual for an entire life.
Case in point: Marilyn vs. Audrey. Who is more beautiful? Marilyn self reported "a soft abdomen and short legs." Audrey Hepburn was self conscious about her large feet and prominent ears.
M.M. (N.J.M.) | A.K.H. |
Blonde Hair | Brown Hair |
Blue Eyes | Brown Eyes |
5 ft 5 in | 5 ft 7 in |
118-140 lbs | 103 lbs |
BMI 23.3 | BMI 16.5 |
C Cup | A Cup |
| Vintage Size 10-12 | Vintage size 2-4 |
thank you so much for this post! It was the perfect inspiration for my dreary Weds. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this article :) It's so nice to hear from someone else.I'm the first to tell my friends we shouldn't compare ourselves and we're all beautiful but struggle to truly see the beauty in my curvy hips. I feel womanly, toned and healthy. Thank you for putting a little sunshine in my day.
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ReplyDeleteThank you. I've needed this
ReplyDeletewhat an awesome post! I love it and hope I can do exactly as you suggest.. THANK YOU! I will try harder to love myself as I am NOW
ReplyDeleteNo one else can tamper with your own admiration. This is my new mantra. Thank you so much for this post and so many others.
ReplyDeletethis post is amazing. I am 5'4" and 105 pounds and people make rude comments about how I must be anorexic to be skinny. I am so not. It is a constant struggle to just accept that I am tiny. It is funny how no matter what we look like, we always have insecurities with our bodies. I always wish that weight had just been distributed evenly amongst all women, but then I guess we wouldn't have to learn to love ourselves and the bodies God gave us.
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