Beautiful
I got a new haircut last week. I was tired of the old style; I wanted something bold, something edgy, something that would fit who I'm trying to become. I thought about something short and spikey, something really red. Luckily I realized before it was too late that I'm not THAT edgy. I'm happy with the cut I got, it's close enough to my old style to still be in my comfort zone, but different enough to feel like I made a change.
Later that week I went to my women's Bible study. Lots of compliments on my new style were given. As we went around the circle listing our prayer requests for the week the leader asked us to describe what our feelings were at that point in time. (Here's a tip...'fine' and 'ok' are not feelings, just in case you were wondering.) It had been a rough day for me mentally, and I was doubting my ability to ever crawl out from under the clouds that sometimes hover like low-hanging fog on my mind. My word? Defeated.
"But at least you've got great hair!" someone piped up.
"Yeah, that's me," I responded, "defeated but with great hair."
How often do we as women do that, I wonder? How often do we try to rely on our outer image to bolster what's inside? I feel worthless...but at least I'm thin! I feel unloved...but at least I've got great clothes! We got on countless diets, get the latest celebrity hair style, frequent the cosmetic counter in the mall and the trendiest clothing stores, all the time hoping that somehow we will reach that magic combination that makes us feel beautiful and therefore makes us finally feel good about who we are.
Page through a women's magazine sometime and take a count of how often how you look or what you wear is equated with a desirable feeling. Sometimes the messages are subtle, sometimes they are in your face bold. "Visible gray hairs make me feel invisible." No magazine is immune, and we are constantly bombarded with ad after ad and article after article telling us to wear this, buy that, and our lives both inner and outer will be richer and fuller. It probably shouldn't surprise me that once I stopped looking at them on a regular basis the amount of money I spent on makeup and other facial products dropped significantly.
So, just for today, do something different. I'm not telling you to run around in your rattiest pair of sweats with your hair pulled up in a rubber band (but don't let me stop you if that's what you feel like doing). No, just for today, when you start to feel that inner gnawing, that little voice that says "If I just looked like...if I just wore... then I'd feel better," do something radical. Think about what you REALLY want. Take time to sit down and listen to your favorite music. Read a book. Plan the first step to pursuing your dream. Hey, maybe even start your own blog!
Later that week I went to my women's Bible study. Lots of compliments on my new style were given. As we went around the circle listing our prayer requests for the week the leader asked us to describe what our feelings were at that point in time. (Here's a tip...'fine' and 'ok' are not feelings, just in case you were wondering.) It had been a rough day for me mentally, and I was doubting my ability to ever crawl out from under the clouds that sometimes hover like low-hanging fog on my mind. My word? Defeated.
"But at least you've got great hair!" someone piped up.
"Yeah, that's me," I responded, "defeated but with great hair."
How often do we as women do that, I wonder? How often do we try to rely on our outer image to bolster what's inside? I feel worthless...but at least I'm thin! I feel unloved...but at least I've got great clothes! We got on countless diets, get the latest celebrity hair style, frequent the cosmetic counter in the mall and the trendiest clothing stores, all the time hoping that somehow we will reach that magic combination that makes us feel beautiful and therefore makes us finally feel good about who we are.
Page through a women's magazine sometime and take a count of how often how you look or what you wear is equated with a desirable feeling. Sometimes the messages are subtle, sometimes they are in your face bold. "Visible gray hairs make me feel invisible." No magazine is immune, and we are constantly bombarded with ad after ad and article after article telling us to wear this, buy that, and our lives both inner and outer will be richer and fuller. It probably shouldn't surprise me that once I stopped looking at them on a regular basis the amount of money I spent on makeup and other facial products dropped significantly.
So, just for today, do something different. I'm not telling you to run around in your rattiest pair of sweats with your hair pulled up in a rubber band (but don't let me stop you if that's what you feel like doing). No, just for today, when you start to feel that inner gnawing, that little voice that says "If I just looked like...if I just wore... then I'd feel better," do something radical. Think about what you REALLY want. Take time to sit down and listen to your favorite music. Read a book. Plan the first step to pursuing your dream. Hey, maybe even start your own blog!
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