Beauty Standards

Beauty standards for today’s women are insane. As a young woman it is hard not to compare yourself to your friends, family, and especially to celebrities. Society watches as actresses, musicians, and other entertainment idols are praised for losing weight, aging gracefully, or for what they wore. Society also watches as these same celebrities or entertainers get criticized for gaining weight, gray hair, wrinkles, or for just looking their age.  

            Hearing these comments in the media, young women start to compare themselves not just to these celebrities but to their loved ones. Maybe we aren’t as skinny, or our hair isn’t the current style, or our clothes don’t look the same. There is pressure to conform, to look exactly how social media says a women of a certain age should look. As women we are told we should look flawless with or without makeup, so “beauty” products are crammed down our throats. We are told we should be an ideal weight, so dieting supplements and exercise routines become an investment. We are told we must have certain clothes and certain brands of clothes, so our credit card debt skyrockets once again.  

            Beauty standards are not only unrealistic, they are dangerous. Women, young women especially, will do anything to fit in and be popular. We are surrounded by images of what we should be. We buy all the products, participate in every fad diet, and still it is never enough. As soon as we get a handle on one trend a new one has already started. And it all makes a women feel like she will never be enough.  

            This feeling leads to self-confidence issues, depression, a feeling of not being enough. It can even cause suicidal thoughts and ultimately can lead someone to commit suicide because the world around them is telling them they are not enough. That they are not good enough.  

            Being a plus size, single women in my 30’s I struggle with my self worth every time I’m on social media. I look in the mirror some days and hate what I see. In no way do I meet the societal views of what a beautiful woman is. I’m overweight, I still struggle with acne outbreaks, my hair is not perfectly curly or straight. It is usually a frizzy mess that I have no control over. My clothes are not name brand or that trendy.  

But in these moments of feeling like I’m not enough or feeling like I’m an outcast I remind myself of how boring the world would be if we were all the same. If we all looked the same, had the same personality, and all dressed the same we would live in a mundane world. The differences in how people look, speak, dress, act is what makes it a wonderful place to be. Society’s beauty standards should be laid to rest and just let women be who they want to be.  

And if you need more encouragement to be who you want to be, just remember God made you the person you are for a reason. He formed you in your mother’s womb and He created you in His image. God never desired for everyone to be the same. He created all of us to be individuals.  

            I will leave you with this encouraging verse to think about in those down moments when the pressures of society are getting the best of you:

Psalm 139: 14- I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Much love,

Victoria