Do You Feel Beautiful?
If you have been reading my blog you know that I am in the process of creating an exciting new feature that I will be adding in August, “You’re Beautiful”. The idea came to me not only from my own feelings of frustration at never seeing all the millions of beautiful, growing, creative wise women of a certain age acknowledged in the media but also as a result of comments I observed from like minded women on forums I visited about this subject.
I would like to thank the many of you who have submitted your wonderful photos and biographies. You are indeed beautiful and diverse and I can’t wait to share your stories and pearls of wisdom on my blog.
This new feature promises to be far more inspiring than I had imagined!
Back to my question, do you feel beautiful? I have a confession to make; I am elated and excited to see the beautiful photos and stories I have received but I am a little surprised there have not been more. I had hoped to quickly grow this feature into a weekly edition and eventually to have a separate page devoted to the photos and stories of the beautiful women of a certain age! I began to think I might have misnamed the feature.
Could it be, even though I think all women of a certain age are beautiful, this is not what the majority of us feel? So then I asked myself; if we don’t feel beautiful, what standards are we applying and where did we get these standards from?
Throughout history beauty has been a function of culture. Let me share a few of the bizarre and painful rituals women have subjected themselves to in the name of beauty I discovered in a fascinating article, What is Beautiful? A Brief Look Through History, on webmd.com:
· Foot binding in ancient China was practiced until it was outlawed in the 20th century. It involved breaking the toes at an early age and folding them under and back towards the heel of the foot. The feet were bound tighter and tighter over time to stunt the growth of the foot. Often times the arch of the foot was broken to create an even higher arch. The ideal foot size was 3 – 4 inches! OUCH!!
· In the Elizabethan era high foreheads were considered beautiful so women plucked and shaved their foreheads to achieve this ideal. To further enhance the look a lead based makeup called ceruse was applied which, as you might imagine, caused a number of medical complications including disfigurement from scarring.
· How about corseting which was popular from the 14th to 19thcentury. These contraptions were made from whalebone on a steel frame. Women would synch themselves so tightly they would often faint.
These are just a few of the things women have done through the ages simply because it was considered to be the standard for beauty. I must say I found this article quite fascinating and it made me look at this beauty thing from a different perspective!
I am not saying we should not be concerned about our looks. This is all part of being a woman and a human being. But it does bring me back to my question. Do you feel beautiful and what is your version or ideal of beauty?
For me Katherine Hepburn comes to mind. She was unapologetic in her lifestyle, looks and personality. Confident in who she was and comfortable in her own skin; she had her own version of beauty and remained true to it until the end. She took good care of herself mentally and physically and it showed. She carried herself with grace, style and self assurance. To me this is beauty, enviable and qualities I would aspire to adopt.
So in hopes of discovering your thoughts on this subject I created a SHORT little survey (only 4 questions) on the subject. Surely you are as curious to know what other women of a certain age think about this subject as I am. It will only take a minute and you can view the results immediately. To participate click on the link below or the new ”Survey Fun” link at the top of the page!
http://www.womenintransitiononline.com/survey-fun/
v So what’s your ideal of beauty? Share your comments and thoughts. If you enjoyed this article don’t forget to bookmark it on del.icio.us or email it to your friends! Your support is appreciated!
v Don’t forget to submit your photo and story. YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL and you deserve to be recognized! It’s easy, its fun so go to the You’re Beautiful submission page and submit today!
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Deborah Hayes, CTA Life Coach
Empowering women to live a life of consequence, a life without regrets that is your own unique version of the life you love. About Deborah
480-656-2026
deborah@womenintransitiononline.com
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