Look Away!
"I can't be beautiful. It's too dangerous..." If you've ever thought this than today's post is for you.
Last time I talked about how beauty has been muddied and made into something much less pretty than it was designed to be. But today I'm jumping into the opposite ditch. A ditch I personally found myself stuck in. Today's post is a very real and honest one.
Are you afraid to be beautiful? I was... It wasn't that I didn't see myself as beautiful. And it wasn't even that I didn't put any effort into making myself look beautiful. But underneath everything lay belief systems and emotions that were ultimately connected to fear.
As long as I can remember I loved to dress good. I enjoyed it and believed one's outlook on life is better when you dress good. Clothes easily caught my attention, and shoes... Well, let's not even go there. Haha. I loved paging through Sears catalogs imagining myself in the gorgeous outfits. But despite the confidence I felt most of the time, I often felt a contradicting insecurity starting to interfere with my free nature. I, oh so often, heard a voice in my head saying I was too much, and that because of that I wasn't enough. I just wanted people to look away.
This contradiction shoveled me under further and further until I eventually almost got buried. What did this feeling look like? I never wanted to dress in a way that might bring any attention to myself. None, whatsoever. It wasn't just that I refused to wear inappropriate clothes. I took the entirely safe route. There were completely ok outfits - as in everything nicely covered and even classy - I would refuse to wear because it might draw attention to myself. And it wasn't just that I was afraid of what others would think of me. I absolutely did not want a guy to look at me in a lustful way. I did not want to be the girl who would cause any guy to stumble. So I did my very best to be careful, because after all beauty is dangerous...
When we look at our world today it seems that everywhere is proof that beauty is dangerous. Rape, adultery, broken hearts, addiction, and more all seem to point straight at that belief. In certain cultures women are required to cover their beauty, or to sure as heck not enhance and embrace it, because after all it's dangerous. They could be leading someone into sin, therefore being the danger themselves. Or they could cause someone to prey on them, therefore being in danger themselves. But you know what? This whole idea of beauty being dangerous is a load of bulloney! Yes, you should be careful. BUT! Your beauty is not dangerous! You are not a danger!
Beauty was designed to be the most extraordinary thing on the planet. It was meant to be inspiring, and bring healing and joy to a broken world. God made women beautiful to reflect his own beauty. You were created in his image. Every woman is created beautiful. What your size, shape, and color are has absolutely nothing to do with it. Beauty is all about you! Are you someone people look at and go, "Dang, she just oozes confidence. Wowzers, is she gorgeous!" That is beauty! You are beautiful because God only creates beautiful things! Ugly is not a word in his vocabulary. Beauty is a gift straight from God. So it is not dangerous!
I eventually realized the mindset I had and knew I needed to start changing it. It's an ongoing process, and I still struggle with it occasionally. But you know what I'm figuring out? Just being me is always enough! When I am me my true beauty can shine through my confidence. Sure, I can still dress up and have style and class, but my beauty doesn't rely solely on those things. The smile that comes from confidence says more than a thousand words ever could. When you live with the confidence that you are created in God's image, to be beautiful, all of a sudden the idea of being a danger doesn't seem so reasonable anymore. So why not dive into what God has for you? Why not dive into developing beliefs that kick the "danger" idea out of your brain? I encourage you to take that journey.
We have now reached the point of the post where I share with you this week's outfit. I wanted to show you a perfect example of me stepping out of my comfort zone to wear something totally appropriate, but that I at first felt was too over the top and would draw too much attention to myself. You know what I discovered? I love it! I feel like me, and I feel confident and beautiful. So here it is...
Are you afraid to be beautiful? I was... It wasn't that I didn't see myself as beautiful. And it wasn't even that I didn't put any effort into making myself look beautiful. But underneath everything lay belief systems and emotions that were ultimately connected to fear.
As long as I can remember I loved to dress good. I enjoyed it and believed one's outlook on life is better when you dress good. Clothes easily caught my attention, and shoes... Well, let's not even go there. Haha. I loved paging through Sears catalogs imagining myself in the gorgeous outfits. But despite the confidence I felt most of the time, I often felt a contradicting insecurity starting to interfere with my free nature. I, oh so often, heard a voice in my head saying I was too much, and that because of that I wasn't enough. I just wanted people to look away.
This contradiction shoveled me under further and further until I eventually almost got buried. What did this feeling look like? I never wanted to dress in a way that might bring any attention to myself. None, whatsoever. It wasn't just that I refused to wear inappropriate clothes. I took the entirely safe route. There were completely ok outfits - as in everything nicely covered and even classy - I would refuse to wear because it might draw attention to myself. And it wasn't just that I was afraid of what others would think of me. I absolutely did not want a guy to look at me in a lustful way. I did not want to be the girl who would cause any guy to stumble. So I did my very best to be careful, because after all beauty is dangerous...
When we look at our world today it seems that everywhere is proof that beauty is dangerous. Rape, adultery, broken hearts, addiction, and more all seem to point straight at that belief. In certain cultures women are required to cover their beauty, or to sure as heck not enhance and embrace it, because after all it's dangerous. They could be leading someone into sin, therefore being the danger themselves. Or they could cause someone to prey on them, therefore being in danger themselves. But you know what? This whole idea of beauty being dangerous is a load of bulloney! Yes, you should be careful. BUT! Your beauty is not dangerous! You are not a danger!
Beauty was designed to be the most extraordinary thing on the planet. It was meant to be inspiring, and bring healing and joy to a broken world. God made women beautiful to reflect his own beauty. You were created in his image. Every woman is created beautiful. What your size, shape, and color are has absolutely nothing to do with it. Beauty is all about you! Are you someone people look at and go, "Dang, she just oozes confidence. Wowzers, is she gorgeous!" That is beauty! You are beautiful because God only creates beautiful things! Ugly is not a word in his vocabulary. Beauty is a gift straight from God. So it is not dangerous!
I eventually realized the mindset I had and knew I needed to start changing it. It's an ongoing process, and I still struggle with it occasionally. But you know what I'm figuring out? Just being me is always enough! When I am me my true beauty can shine through my confidence. Sure, I can still dress up and have style and class, but my beauty doesn't rely solely on those things. The smile that comes from confidence says more than a thousand words ever could. When you live with the confidence that you are created in God's image, to be beautiful, all of a sudden the idea of being a danger doesn't seem so reasonable anymore. So why not dive into what God has for you? Why not dive into developing beliefs that kick the "danger" idea out of your brain? I encourage you to take that journey.
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We have now reached the point of the post where I share with you this week's outfit. I wanted to show you a perfect example of me stepping out of my comfort zone to wear something totally appropriate, but that I at first felt was too over the top and would draw too much attention to myself. You know what I discovered? I love it! I feel like me, and I feel confident and beautiful. So here it is...
- Bottom tank top - Wet Seal
- Top tank top - Target
- Cardigan - Bluenotes
- Leggings - Plato's Closet
- Shoes - Ardene
- Necklace - Watoto.com
I love the journey God's taking you on, girl. :)
ReplyDelete(And that's a great cardigan, by the way!)
Why thank you Tracey! ;)
ReplyDelete