The Beauty Myth

Hi There!

How's everyone doing? Things over in my neck of the woods are pretty good. The week started off  busy, and I really can't believe it's already Wednesday.



On Monday, I drove to upstate New York for work. As much as I wasn't excited about the three hour drive each way, the beautiful foliage (and lunch box full of snackies!) made the trek a complete pleasure if you can believe it. It was so nice to escape the city and simply take in some beautiful scenery and breathe in the crisp fall air.

In other news ,I'm super psyched about this new hat I picked up from Targ-et! It makes me feel kind of badass... I don't know why, it just does :)

So, speaking of badass, in my last post, I told y'all (I'm sorry, I love saying y'all) that in the coming weeks, I would be sharing some of the ways that I am calling bullshit on this idea that I (or you!!!) somehow need "fixing". We are faced with a gazillion messages everyday telling us that we need to change the way we look, or eat, or talk, or exist. Messages that tell us we need to simply be better than we are. Often times, these "messages" are connected to some sort of unfounded plan that promises us a pathway to perfection where we will finally be good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough. Unfortunately, we are being totally set up. Why? Because the media ensures that there is no end to this arduous road to flawlessness, As much as we would like to think we know the media is taking us for a ride, most of us (both male and female) without question jump on the train. Even just for today, let's consider letting that train pull out of the station.

1. Get Educated

Knowledge is power, people. So many of us (ehhem, ME) take what we hear on the news, in the media, or from other people as the ultimate truth. We don't question it or consider that their truth might be different than ours, or that this truth may be a way to keep us stuck so that we can't compete.

So, I am currently re-reading The Beauty Myth, by Naomi Wolf. This masterpiece is completely life changing, and I HIGHLY recommend that any woman (or man) out there reading this post go get this book RIGHT NOW. I actually purchased  The Beauty Myth my freshman year of college as a requirement for a women's studies class that I was taking. I loved the class, but I didn't really read the book. I kind of skimmed some of it, liked some of the ideas, but I didn't really take it much further than that.  Well, I picked this book back up last week, and I couldn't have anticipated the way that my whole world would be flipped upside down. For the first time, I am questioning EVERY beauty ideal that I have for so long enslaved myself with trying to achieve. The Beauty Myth covers the ways in which women have been strategically trapped- both mentally and physically- since the beginning of time. My gosh, you want to talk eye opening? After reading this book, I simply can't subject myself to the torturous thoughts that I have been acting upon all these years. I actually teared up (in anger) yesterday while reading a section of this book. If you are a lady, and you want to know why you always think that there is something wrong with you, READ THIS BOOK. It's not your fault, there is NOTHING wrong with you, and it's no wonder so many women feel like crap about themselves. Some quotes from the book below to give you an idea of just how powerful this book is.

Now, I like to immerse myself in things. It's just my style. While I can't sit around all day reading this book because of that thing called work and life, I have found a way to do both. I do have my own copy of The Beauty Myth, but this time I downloaded it via itunes, and I listen to it while I drive around all day. If you haven't listened to a book on tape, it's a great way to keep your mind stimulated (and not obsessing!).

So for today, I am asking you to get educated. Don't mindlessly follow the masses or what the media is telling you is the path to fulfillment and general awesomeness. Also, remember that these messages from the media and our society trickle down. While I love reading blogs and find many of them to be truly inspiring, I have to remind myself that many of the recommendations that these bloggers promote result from their following of these "messages" that they too are receiving on a constant basis. Just a little food for thought...

Have a beautiful day.

Love and Hugs :)

XO

Sarah