Why Not Love Yourself?

So here's the dealio…

This is real life.

Ciara Stastny has started a blog.

For those of you that know me, please contain your shock and awe. For those of you that don't know me (hello cheesy church line), you're going to only know Blogger Ciara. Have fun with that.

So tonight, I find myself feeling content and beautiful. This is strange because my hair is still damp from my shower, I have zero makeup on, exposing my every facial blemish, and my skin is freakishly dry from the "wonderful" Utah air; however, after reading many many many tweets about the Victoria Secret Show (guys tweeting about the girls' bodies, girls tweeting about the guys that tweet about the girls' bodies, girls feeling the need to proclaim their confidence in their own body to the social media world, guys mocking girls that get so insecure about guys tweeting about the models, and on and on and on), I had an epiphany of sorts. We seem to think that "beautiful" can be broken down into two categories: inside and outside. To be beautiful inside is to be kind, funny, loving, caring, sensitive, compassionate, and giving. To be beautiful outside is to be thin, tan, have long hair that is always done perfectly, and to dress to impress. I realize that those definitions may vary here and there, but I think we all can agree that those are the general and basic rules. But why is that? I once received a loving card from a close friend telling me Happy Birthday and that she loved having me as a friend and she ended by proclaiming "You're beautiful inside and out!!" Now, I know she meant no harm, but think about it: by telling someone they are beautiful inside and out, you are creating the idea that there is two types of beautiful: inside and out. Separately. You're both, or just beautiful inside, or just beautiful outside. And that is just sad to me.


And so brings me to my epiphany: beauty is loving you. Beauty is loving your size 11 shoe size. Beauty is loving that gap between your teeth or your freckles. Beauty is loving those love handles. Beauty is loving your hair. Beauty is loving your ears, your nose, your arms, your legs, your tummy, your face, your hair, your personality, your talents, your flaws, your strengths, your weaknesses, your abilities. If your appearance and your personality does not harm you or others around you, why not love it? I understand that there are health concerns regarding obesity and certain emotional disorders, so aid those to the best of your abilities for protectional purposes and then why not love yourself. 




The excuse we tend to unknowingly use is: because the world tells me not to. 
And it's true! Everything in the media today is telling you how to get skinny, do your hair, apply your makeup, what clothes to wear. Have we no say in what makes each of us individually beautiful. I want to talk about Barbie. Many little girls of today, enjoy playing with Barbie Dolls. These dolls of impeccable style and flawless measurements seem like the perfect gift for a child, right? Perhaps…. but also perhaps not. 



The very first barbie doll was named Barbie Millicent Roberts. Her job was to be a teenage fashion model. 

This first Barbie sold for $3. Additional clothing and accessories based on the latest Paris runway trends were sold, costing from $1 to $5. In this first year of 1959, 300k Barbie dolls were sold.

There has been some discussion over the controversy about Barbie Doll's figure when it was realized that if Barbie was a real person her measurements would be an impossible 36-18-38. Barbie's "real" measurements are 5 inches (bust), 3 ¼ inches (waist), 5 3/16 inches (hips). Her weight is 7 ¼ ounces, and her height is 11.5 inches tall. I mean… check it out:

Like, that isn't even human. In fact, that's borderline SCARY to me. And yet, the Barbie fad became a Barbie era. To make matters worse, in 1965, Barbie came out with more accessories, including a bathroom scale and a "How To" book collection. This scale was permanently set at 110lbs and this book (view of front and back) really did come with the doll. Observe:

*cue giggles* Is this for real??? If I got on the scale tomorrow morning and the scale said 110… I would be HIGHLY concerned. If 110 is your weight, please take into account your height and body type before blowing up about my previous statement. Let's all use our brains. And if I had to not eat for any reason at all, I would hate life. Because I love food. LOVE it. It brings me joy. 

Do you see what I mean, though? The world has created this ideal image that we women must conform to, but it isn't realistic. It doesn't account for the fact that not all bodies are the same. It can't factor in personality and happiness. Beauty is a number to the world. Let's make it something more abstract.

I'm Ciara Stastny. I vary from a size 4 to a size 10 in dress, depending on the store. So am I fat? Am I skinny? Neither. I like to think of myself as pleasantly athletically sized;)  And I love it! If I was the size of those Victoria Secret models, I would snap like a twig when playing the sport that I absolutely love. If I didn't have the muscle, thick quads, and wide shoulders that I have, I wouldn't be able to participate in and succeed at the many outdoor activities that my family enjoys. I'm Ciara Stastny and I freaking love my body. I work every day to improve the things I don't love and that I can control, and I work every day to accept and grow to love the things that I cannot control. I am blessed to have this body. You are blessed to have yours. So stop comparing yourself to others, because they AREN'T YOU.

So look in the mirror, ask yourself if you truly love you. If ya do, awesome. But if you don't, learn to accept the things you cannot control, and work to change for the better the things that you can. Not for the world's standards, not for any guy's standards, for YOUR standards that would make you love you.

Why not love yourself?

I apologize for the odd topic for a blog post, but this was on my mind, so it went on the document. You have every right to love yourself. And you most likely have every reason to love yourself too. Join me in my goal to REDEFINE BEAUTY.

Much love,

Ciara

links for pictures:
http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/The-History-Of-Barbie-Dolls.htm
http://nowiknow.com/barbies-diet-plan/