there could never be a more beautiful you

its appalling at times [most of the time] having to wade through this life trying to live up to this impossibly attainable level of outward beauty that society has in place for us. this outward appearance that is so unbelievably small when assessed in the big picture.

I [being an avid Victoria's secret shopper] received the semi annual sale magazine the other day in the mail.. as I flipped through the pages to find my long sought after Pink sweatshirt.. I couldn't help but look at these girls' bodies... I remember getting my phone and texting Cody, 'after looking at this magazine, I feel like I need breast implants and liposuction!' -disturbing- but this is what the younger generations have to look up to? this is what we are teaching the naive minds of today that is beautiful...

when on Facebook the other day I came across someone's post that shared this image of a size 12 model embracing a regular sized supermodel. I commend these two models for putting themselves out there for controversial criticism.. but a point was made. we have gone too far in promoting this sickly looking body image. and, frankly, what is the up side of being that thin? it is detrimental to your overall health, not to mention your reproductive health.. and it's just not cute. right? if I were a guy, I would much rather be attracted to the size 12 woman in this picture. you?

according to 'lifebliss solutions' here are 6 ways to gorgeousness...

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.  This includes false corporate media images, how you were 20 years ago, or other women you know.  Just stop.  You are you and that’s that.
2. Refrain from criticizing other women. You may not even realize that sometimes we do this out of sheer habit, sometimes out of jealousy of something else that woman has, or even vicariously self-hating.
3. When you walk outside or into a room imagine that you are what you consider to be drop-dead gorgeous.  No, you may not believe it (yet) but just go with it and trust me, your confidence level will skyrocket.  Hold your head up, don’t hunch, make eye contact, and smile.
4. Release your diet obsession. Try not to allow guilt and regret ruin a fantastic food experience.  If you’ve had too much of a good thing forget about it.  Next time just consciously decide what and how much you want to put into your body beforehand.
5. I’m not gonna tell you to do something corny like stand in the mirror naked and admire your parts.  I will tell you to just try to be conscious of the negative dialogue with yourself when you see your reflection.  It would be ideal if you could begin to shut down that hurtful self talk and just be neutral.  If you don’t have anything nice to think about your parts, then don’t think about them.  Is it really necessary to impose a negative or positive judgement to every single thing?  Do you have that much time on your hands?
6. Look for beauty all around you.  Notice when other women look attractive and don’t be afraid to comment. Complimenting others has a strange but positive effect on how you feel about yourself.  Try it once a day and see what happens. read more here

REAL BEAUTY. honestly, women [and men], listen up... if you are authentic in your ways, transparent in your words, and have a level of integrity not surpassed by the majority of humanoids.. then YOU ARE GORGEOUS, whether or not you think your mirror tells you this is of minute relevance. hold tight to your inner beauty and it's bound to shine through. there is nothing more captivating than someone who is comfortable in their own skin.. confidence is sexy, and it comes from within. love yourself by loving others. this... my dear friends, is beautiful.