The struggle to attain physical perfection is a one that creeps up on us slowly. Here's how the story goes: you wake up feeling fantastic; and indeed why shouldn't you? After all, you have been working really hard lately. You have been eating healthy meals, watching your portion sizes and exercising like a demon. You are very proud of what you have achieved.
So you put on your new outfit and you go out to greet the world. Maybe you go off to the shopping mall for a look around. Or perhaps down to the beach for a quick swim. So many places, so little time.....and that's when it happens. Suddenly, out of the blue you see her: she is tall, tanned and stunning. You look her up and down, hoping to find at least one flaw - but alas...you are left empty handed. Zero cellulite and no makeup. You want to curl up and cry.
Who IS this girl?? You don't know her name and the truth is you don't need to. You've seen her many times before, or at least other versions of her in many forms over many years. She always shows up when you least expect it - turning up to crush your soul and take away your happiness. Her mere presence confirms what you have secretly known all along: that you that you're not quite so beautiful after all; that you will never be beautiful enough.
But of course you know it's not this girl that is the problem; The problem is in your subconscious mind; it has always been there. You see, no matter how beautiful we think we look, there will always be somebody else who looks more beautiful. This is one of the facts that causes many beautiful, normal and intelligent women of all ages to lose their bearings and become slaves to the myth we continually buy into: the myth that our entire existence should and does rely on how we look. That unless we are physically perfect, we have no right to exist.
Consumerism tells us we must strive for physical perfection - it makes a lot of money by playing on our insecurities. It tells us that eternal youth is the supreme currency and that nothing else matters. And we buy into it - literally! Time and time again we compare ourselves to that impossibly youthful and skinny (digitally enhanced) image (often portrayed by a 15 year old model) that we can never achieve.
So where's the solution? The solution is inside you - your self esteem. True self esteem is the ability to accept yourself no matter what the situation and no matter who is around you. It is about recognizing yourself as a whole entity, not just a physical body. When other people observe you, they see the whole you, not just your bottom or your thighs or your cellulite. Whether you believe the media's messages about how you should look or not, know and understand this: you will never ever be happy as long as you insist on comparing yourself to other people. No matter what you do, where you live or who you are, there will always be someone younger, prettier, smarter or richer.
So instead of becoming a bitter and twisted old crone like the one in 'Sleeping Beauty' (or was it 'Snow White'?), why not refuse to play the game? There's no written law that says you have to be a part of the madness. Be the best you can be and take the pressure off yourself. Everybody gets old. Ageing, sickness and death are inevitable. Fat or thin, pretty or not so pretty, we are all going to wrinkle up, stoop over and dribble in our sleep. So rather than struggling to 'fight' the natural ageing process, instead strive to find you. I assure you it is much easier and a whole lot more interesting.
My six-year-old daughter Sophie and I were playing a rhyming game the other day and out of the blue she asked me, "Why can't I touch the sky?" I laughed inside and thought for a few moments. I tried to explain it from the Jack and the Beanstalk story, but she just just looked at me funny. Then I tried the old earth space thing, but that was too technical. The more I tried, the clumsier it got when finally I realized I wasn't getting through.
Then I had a realization. What if my daughter had asked the same question to another six year old? What would the other child have said? Some six year olds think they know the answer to everything and its fun to listen to what they have to say. Something tells me her friend wouldn't have the slightest difficulty in explaining the answer. Chances are, they would have argued and discussed it until finally reaching agreement. I wished I could have turned the question over to an imaginary friend and then sit back and listen to the conversation.
That night while lying in bed, I kept thinking about her question and why I couldn't come up with a really cool answer. Was it because I had "grown up" and now used my imagination like an "adult"? As I grew, the maturation process obviously had boxed me in. And worse yet... I knew that someday, my little girl just might lose her pure and trusting imagination to adulthood and maybe stop asking these wonderfully creative questions.
I didn't feel like it was right that I progressed up the ladder of maturity only to lose what I feel is a very important concept: the ability to retain and possess a childlike quality to explore other possibilities. Where did my childlike imagination go? Why did it go? I thought I would ask Sophie this question to help me understand why some adults tend to lose sight of this magical way of thinking and why others make a living by it.
She looked at me with a puzzle on her face and then I knew. It never occurs to her that there's any other way. Why on earth would a six-year-old little girl dream she couldn't touch the sky unless somebody told her she couldn't?
I watch my little girl as she plays. She conducts an imaginary reading class and makes sure each doll pronounces the words correctly. She dresses her babies and gets them ready for they're day. Her imagination takes wing each and every day to places I'm not aware. Sometimes I can catch a glimpse of her inner world when we sit and talk about her day or what her plans are for tomorrow.
Remember when we were younger, when we used to talk about and imagine what we would become when we grew up? I wanted to be a policeman and my friends wanted to be fireman and race car drivers. We believed anything was possible and we could become whatever we wanted, never doubting the possibilities. As children, we dreamed big.
Children are visionaries and it seems a little sad to think our childlike imagination seems to disappear, as we grow older. As we age, the ever-increasing intrusions of the world on our minds seem to frighten that childlike imagination into full-blown retreat.
As we grew up, we learned why the sky really is blue, and why grass is green. Why flowers need sunlight and how birds really fly. We lose a little bit of the wonder of life around us as we schedule the next meeting or plan tomorrow's agenda.
I have my daughter to thank for asking her question. It connected me, once again, with my priorities. She made me think about my own potentiality and how I may be limiting myself. Maybe I need to reconnect with my childlike imagination and think more outside the box of adult creativity. If I do that, maybe I can explain in my own six-year-old way, why she can touch the sky.
Both Sonia Devine & Robert Hunt are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sonia Devine has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Fitness and Fitness. Sonia Devine is one of Australia's leading experts in weight loss hypnotherapy. Would you like to learn how to love your body? Claim Your FREE weight loss and self esteem e-books available at =>. Sonia Devine's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Robert Hunt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Self Esteem and Fitness. Robert Hunt is the creator of MySelfDevelopment - - insights to personal development a. Robert Hunt's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.