Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, but our idea of beauty over the past few decades has most definitely been programmed into us. Our youth are growing up with mass amounts of marketing around them, as they watch television and participate in life, they are constantly bombarded with a picture of “what is beautiful.” It’s a shame how our children grow up striving to achieve that particular look, and how they can be made to feel “ugly” if they do not fit the accepted model of what our corporations have defined as beautiful. As a result, our youth are not addressing their feelings and emotions, always being taught to look outside of themselves instead of within themselves for the answer.

“If tomorrow, women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think about how many industries would go out of business.” – Unknown

It’s quite ridiculous when you think about it, because the programmed idea of beauty isn’t even real. What we see all around us everyday through mass marketing campaigns are often fake photoshopped images and looks that are not even realistically obtainable. It would serve all of us well if we could accept and let go of our perceptions that have been programmed into us of what we think real beauty is. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe this is happening, but we still have a long way to go. It’s not easy to re-wire your brain when it has been bombarded with the idea of “what is” since childhood.

“When you start to look at people’s heart instead of their face or body, life becomes clear.” – Unknown

That being said, the idea of what a woman should look like has usually come from a place of authority. Women, and women’s rights in general have been suppressed, and in some cultures, for thousands of years. Throughout history there are many instances where they have not been viewed or treated in the way that they should be. There is no man, there is no woman, there is only human and we are all the same. Both genders have been subjected to programming for a long time, and both have been told what their role is by authority figures.

For a long time, the world and/or authority figures have had a desire to control women’s bodies, and women in general -not to mention their behaviours and identities. The world is changing rapidly, and this is one aspect of many that is also changing as we move through 2015.

“This control is such a deep part of our culture that we hardly ever realize how cruel it is and how it restricts our personal choice. I don’t believe it’s enough to discuss exclusively the issues that affect a specific group of women. We also need to talk about racism, homophobia, transphobia, classicism, xenophobia and ableism. The fight for equality and respect is very wide and should be inclusive.” - Carol Rossetti

In the video below, a cast of models came together to portray what the different ideal body types have been throughout various historical periods. We all might have an idea about how they dressed, but the ideal body types have probably not occurred to many of us. Although some might find this video inappropriate, they chose to wear what they wore to help emphasize the difference between their bodies and to help viewers forget about other things like jewellery and clothing.

The video shows how the interpretation of female beauty with regards to body type has changed over time, but it seems the next period of “what is beautiful” is going to be about looking within, observing the heart and more qualities that resonate with the soul. This, I have no doubt, will become the new “definition” of what is beautiful as we move away from the material, into the immaterial. The post “shift in consciousness” idea of beauty is going to be the real one, something that is necessary (out of many other things) if we are to change our world and the direction we are heading.

I chose to share the video because it will definitely get you thinking about something that’s probably not thought about often. It will definitely have you asking some questions to yourself, at least it did for me.

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