Isn't It Time We Retire The Statement “A Real Woman”?

Do you see the image above? Is it really portraying an unbiased message? Not really.
In many cases the new trend is to focus on the fact that we have become culturally obsessed with skinny and slim that we for the most part do not appreciate more curvy women. Then there are those on the other side that say that curvy women are real women while skinny women are not. But is this true?

Last time I checked, the word ‘real’ referred to something actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; it's not something that is imagined or supposed. So this means that if you see a woman, man, dog, cat, lemonade stand or even an earwig under the BBQ mat (eeeeeeeehheeee) it's REAL! Unless of course you are on a hallucinogen and are imagining it being there.

In all seriousness, a real woman, and even a real man, is whoever we are. ‘Real’ isn't any specific thing. So we don't need to create campaigns and movements focused on showing what's real. We simply need to accept what is in all cases and culturally let go of the perceptions we place on what beauty is and what ‘real’ is.

Imagine for an instance that we suddenly went the other direction completely and now “real” meant more curvy women. How does the girl or women who has a very skinny body type feel? The same thing goes for men. Many men hit the gym in an attempt to achieve the correct body weight, shape and look in order to be considered muscular and good-looking.

Reality is, this is just another illusion -and with having a decent background in kinesiology, some men, just like women, have body types that don't allow them to achieve the body types their ego's are after.

The image above is from Dove's “Real Beauty” campaign. I'll admit, they've done a pretty good job in touching on many body types, there are still some missing and they are still focusing on this as real beauty. The bodies are still clearly airbrushed to a degree, their hair is all done up and each is wearing a generous amount of makeup. Is this real beauty? You be the judge.

But for me, if we want to truly go back to “real beauty” this means going beyond the idea of makeup as well. Have fun with it, dress up, wear it from time to time, but does it have to be a daily thing? Can we leave the house without make-up, perfecting our hair, adjusting our eyelids and hiding our “flaws?”

Can our friends or new love interests see us without make up? I keep saying “us” simply because I believe men do things relating to this as well. Sure it may not be makeup but a male can be just as self-conscious about their looks as a female and I believe it's important to simply embrace who you are.

So! Male or female, it doesn't matter, let's let go of the idea of “real” and instead accept ourselves for who we are. You will notice very very quickly, the more acceptance and “confidence” you have within yourself about who you are completely, the less you or anyone will even care about your physical appearance because you are projecting an entirely new energy.

But wait, what about the whole idea that dressing up nice and making yourself look dashing will make you feel good about yourself? Is that what it takes for us to feel good? Doesn't the very fact that, that is what makes us feel good reveal how we truly feel about ourselves and the importance we put on appearance?

Once again, don't get me wrong, I'm not vilifying dressing up or anything of that nature, enjoy it as you wish, I'm simply drawing attention to the fact that when it is a neutral act it comes from a space of acceptance within ourselves versus a self consciousness or need to impress others.