What is Beauty?

The changing definition of Beauty throughout the years....

When I say the word BEAUTIFUL, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

Why do the majority of women all over the world struggle with feeling beautiful, confident, and happy with themselves? What defines beauty, and why do we feel that it is so hard to obtain?

As I have gotten many emails the past several months from women asking me for help with finding confidence, how to lose weight, and how to just be happy with themselves, these questions have been racing through my mind. As women, we compare ourselves, are easily overwhelmed, and strive for some UNKNOWN ideal of perfection that we can never obtain because the world sets the image so high that it is impossible to reach. Therfore, we are forever reaching to lose weight, have that perfect chin lift liposuction ordeal, and are never satisfied with ourselves. This, my friends, IS A PROBLEM! There's so much trash out there to bring us down, which is why JUNE IS BODY IMAGE/HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MONTH on the blog. As a result of the challenges we will take on this month, and the things that we will learn, it's my goal that all of us will feel more confident and know how to live a beautiful and healthy lifestyle.

I know it's a day early, but I wanted to kick off the month and get you all thinking about what beauty is. Now, think back to the word that came to your mind when I wrote the word BEAUTIFUL. I'll tell you what... The first thing that I thought of was NOT how skinny the models I saw on the internet today were, the outfits on the fashion blogs, or how great the hair color of Jennifer Lopez is. Sure, they look beautiful, but to me, beauty is more than that....

When I looked up beauty in the dictionary, two definitions were given. The first one was "A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight."

The second one was the one that rung true to me, " A combination of qualities that pleases the intellect or moral sense."

What I thought of when I wrote the word beautiful was watching the compassion of my grandpa's wife as she kissed him goodbye tonight with tears in her eyes as he lay dying on his hospital bed. It made me think of the people who have inspired me, encouraged me, and uplifted me by their unique quality of kindness and love. It made me think of times with my family, and waking up every morning to sunny skies that invite me to make a difference. Beauty, my friends, is found everywhere. It is not defined in a single glance, but by moments that change us because of who we are surrounded by.

To kick off this month of body image, YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK IS TO DEFINE WHAT BEAUTY IS TO YOU, AND POST ABOUT IT ON FRIDAY. Link your post back here, and make sure you tell your friends to head on over here for an inspiring month... You're going to die with the amazing guest posters we will be having as well...

LET'S DO THIS! IT'S TIME TO FEEL BEAUTIFUL... AND TO FEEL IT THE REAL WAY.

So let's hear it, what was the first thing that came to your mind when you heard the word beautiful? This will be fun...