Thank you Dove for sponsoring this post. How do you define #RealBeauty?
When I look back on the last few years of my life I see hours and hours spent slaving away at the gym, thousands of dollars being spent on the “next big thing” that will help you achieve the perfect body, and countless hours of disappointingly staring at a mirror – looking for any signs of change.
I have an entire closet full of “goal outfits” and I am a little embarrassed to admit how many products are under my bathroom sink that claim to be “miracles in a jar.” I will admit, I spend most of my 30s trying to fit into society’s standard of what is considered “beautiful” … with very little success.
The truth is I am never going to look like those women on the covers of magazines – in fact most of those women do not even actually look like that! (But that is a post for another day!) Comparing myself to women who are younger, taller, and a completely different body structure than I am has made for some pretty unrealistic expectations – none of which I can achieve.
As another birthday is approaching, I find myself turning a corner to become more focused on how I feel than how I look, and embracing the things about me that are beautiful – even if they do not match what I see in the magazines. Over 69% of women agree that they don’t see themselves reflected in advertisements, movies, and on television, so it is nice to know I am not alone in how I feel.
Dove Real Beauty Productions has recently released a new film about a woman named Kylee who struggled with trying to fit the “beauty mold” as well. Her story is a powerful message about breaking out of the definition of what we have been brought up to believe is “beautiful” and embracing how we all have things about us that make us amazing – just the way we are.
I loved her story and loved that Dove showed how genuinely happy she became after she embraced who she really is, and stopped trying to be someone else. It is a message I think all women need to hear.
You can check out the new film here.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.