"101 Ways to Fail at Looking Like a Supermodel"

I ran across this article on the internet and all I can say is "amen"! It's true that there's some sort of unreal "ideal" out there that makes us all think that physical perfection equals our worth and what people think of us... sad but true. I wonder what the statistics are on girls, or even guys for that matter, that live up to that ever elusive ideal! Enjoy...

101 Ways to Fail at Looking Like a Supermodel
Written by Kierstin Casella -- Thursday, 02 March 2006

I’m in my PJs and socks. Drew Lachey is dancing on TV. The washing machine is whistling. And on the arm of the sofa sits my latest issue of InStyle Magazine with Julianne Moore on the cover. Across her purple dress it reads: Absolutely Beautiful.

The hefty cover also promises 146 shoes and bags, plus 99 tips for getting gorgeous. I must admit it: I want those things.

I suppose the reason I’m drawn to the latest and greatest trends in lip plumping, waist slimming, and eyebrow shaping is that in my mind, it equals a new and improved self—or at least the hope of one. And who am I kidding? Of course I would love to look like Kate Hudson or Jennifer Connelly, especially if it can happen in just five easy steps and a tube of expensive lipgloss.

There’s a deeper truth there though. It’s that I, maybe like you, find too much of my worth in the way that I look. I’m sure I don’t help the situation much---I’m the one buying the magazines! But I think it would be an issue even if I didn’t. I mean, unless I want to live underground, I’m faced with a steady onslaught of movie stars, billboards, diet fads, and skinny, skinny girls in butt-lifting jeans everywhere I look. I’ve become convinced that these are the standards I must achieve in order to be accepted. By who, I’m not sure exactly.

The funny thing is, I aspire to be a good cook, but I don’t tell myself that buying a great chef’s knife is going to turn me into Emeril. And while I want to be a good writer, I don’t read books by Anne Lamott or CS Lewis and feel like a failure because I can’t write as well as them. Why is it that in those areas of my life I keep a logical head on my shoulders, but when it comes to my appearance--something I can’t change nearly as easily as my cooking or writing skills--I set the mark beyond reach?

It is a difficult line though. On the one hand, I do believe it’s important to be healthy, to take care of my God-given self, and to make an effort to be attractive for my husband. I also know that indulging in any food I want, making excuses for avoiding the gym, and not washing my hair just to combat vanity is not the right solution. It’s also kind of gross.

On the other hand, when I find myself standing at the mirror telling myself I’m the fattest person who ever lived, or I don’t believe my husband when he tells me I’m beautiful, I realize how many more lies than truths I let inside my head on a daily basis. And that’s a problem. Because the truth is, no matter what some magazine picture tempts me to aspire toward, I am never going to have a personal trainer, a high-paid nutritionist, and a troop of stylists at my fingertips. I am never going to look like Charlize Theron in a bikini. I’m working with my tiny bag of tricks and a closet of clothes I bought on the sale rack. And I can’t airbrush out the parts I don’t like, either.

The truth is, when I peel everything else away what I’m left with is me. And doesn’t it make a lot more sense to work toward being that, rather than the girl with high heels and smoky eyes on page 257? I don’t even like eyeshadow.

I'm citing my source! http://blog.grassrootsmusic.com/?DCMP=EMC-030306