Dove recently conducted a "social experiment" where they took a forensic artist and had him sketch women according to how they described themselves and then again according to how someone else (i.e. stranger) desrcribed them. I thought the results were... what word am I looking for? Shocking? Sad? Uplifting? Inspirational? Let's just stick with "Powerful." There are a lot of aspects to defining the word "beauty." In my opinion, "beauty" includes mind, body and spirit...
I compliment my girls on how good they are at coming up with solutions to problems more often than I compliment them on their looks. I do not need to remind them (though I do) how much fun it must be to learn so many new things each and every day. Beauty includes the Mind - CHECK!
Sure there are times when I compliment my girls on looking pretty. Why not? They DO look pretty and I want them to know it. That being said, I also tell them "You look really healthy today!" or "You look very happy today!" just as often. Beauty encompasses ALL aspects of the Body - CHECK!
Beauty goes beyond what is in your mind or body... That's why the word is so meaningful. In order to be truly beautiful, someone needs to be a GOOD person. They need to care, not only for themselves, but for others just as much. They need to go out of their way to brighten someone's day. They need to be thoughtful and share. They need to be the beauty in the world around them. My girls know this, I'm sure, because they remind me of this lesson every day. One can not be beautiful without the Soul - CHECK!
The Dove ad was so powerful, not because it included EVERY aspect of beauty, but because it reminds us that we can be our own worst critic. It reminds us that we ARE beautiful. It reminds us that the warm smile we give to strangers makes us look younger, while the dreary look we give ourselves in the mirror makes us look older. It reminds us that we need to not be so hard on ourselves. We need to love ourselves. It reminds us that you're beautiful **IF** you truly love the person you are, inside AND out.
If my girls read this some time down the road, I want them to promise me one thing... Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Promise me this: Love yourself as you deserve to be loved.
** ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS **
All images were taken from the Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign website:
http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/
“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin to Pooh
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