Beauty is a Beast...We Can Tame

Everyday I receive alerts about hundreds of articles and blogs written around the world that focus on women, beauty, and body image. When I began the Beautiful Women Project I had no idea that there were thousands upon thousands of women going through the same thing-trying to find peace, love and happiness in their own skin.

It is easy to place blame on the media, advertisers, Hollywood, even Miss America. Yet, in doing so, we become victims of circumstances that we do not control. I won't speak for women everywhere, but I know that I don't want to be considered a victim anymore. I want to look in the mirror and smile back at myself because I love the person whose reflection I see in the mirror- not to check for lipstick on my teeth. And there are days that this does happen - they are the best days of my life. I am working on making everyday I day I love what I see.

I am learning that it comes down to this...it doesn't matter what the media, advertisers, Hollywood, or the people at the Miss America Pageant think about beauty. All that matters is what we as women think about ourselves. When you have a moment of quiet and think about the person that you are, what makes you smile? For me, it is knowing that I live an honest life. This is very important to me when, especially in a society today that makes it so easy to lie. I tell people my age, height and weight - I am not ashamed. I have grey hair that I color - HA! I don't wash my hair everyday - and not because they say that it is better for your hair. These are the parts of me that make me beautiful and I refuse to be ashamed of my body. There will always be things about physicality that we will want to change throughout our lifetime. So Change Them, but don't lose sight of the fact that beauty comes from within - five pounds heavier or lighter, greys or no greys, age spots or wrinkles - they are a part of who we are as women, not who we are as women.