The REAL campaign for real beauty.

Thinking about the manner in which our society approaches self esteem among young girls makes me feel tired. I have become familiar with the resources available that attempt to redefine the way girls perceive themselves, and if you aren't a hermit, it's likely that you have too. We have saturated ourselves in it. Do you feel like it's been effective? I remember my awkward years...actually there's not a lot to remember, mine seemed to last longer than most. My roommate and I were getting ready for work in our apartment discussing our childhood (one that we were blessed to share together) and though we endured the painfully awkward years, we remember being happy and oblivious to our flaws. It's only painful now when we see the pictures of ourselves from years ago. Have you noticed the shift in our strive for perfection among girls at such an early age? It seems that the "awkward years" have nearly been eliminated from traditional stages of development. So what is causing this tension between the convergence of a forceful push toward positive self-esteem among girls, and a greater strive for perfection? There seems to be a selfish fixation that is fogging the intent of efforts toward healthy self esteem. The power of suggestion has created an emphasis on the ways in which girls perceive themselves. Maybe they were ok with who they were until so many voices were telling them that they should learn to become comfortable with themselves. This has caused us to question ourselves and reach unhealthy conclusions. Materials that encourage girls to think differently about themselves often lead them down a path of self-centeredness. Why is it necessary to search and analyze ourselves to the point of exhaustion? I have found that true identity is revealed when we have the opportunity to look outside of ourselves and serve others as we are called to do. That is when God's unique design and creation of man's heart becomes exposed. Furthermore, such a greater beauty comes from the girl who is kind, and loves others genuinely than the one who has forced herself into a healthy thought process about who she is. Girls don't have to watch super models or look in magazines to realize that they aren't perfect. They don't need to see a video that shows how "fake" that person actually is smiling on the billboard. All they have to do is walk to class at school where comparison is inevitable. We do not have the power to sustain a forced mentality of acceptance of self. It is my desire for girls to know that they are beautiful because they are fulfilling God's call in their life to serve others. Genuine inner beauty is defined by Christ shining through a willing spirit, and impacting others with confidence.