What is beautiful?

Of course they say beauty is only skin deep, but do people really mean that? Having spent time with women from other countries and having been surprised by just how comfortable they seemed to be in their own skin, I think we Americans are a little too hard on ourselves.

Growing up showing horses, I've always had a distorted body image. Tall, thin people make a prettier picture sitting on a horse than the shorter, rounder riders such as myself.

That's me...not exactly tall and lanky...

The things I've noticed - and it's taken me over 30 years to figure it out - is that once I care about someone, I sort of stop noticing their features, so is a perfect body really the end all be all?

I always thought that I was lacking somewhere; that I was missing something in the looks department, like I wasn't thin enough or pretty enough, but I'm starting to realize that we all feel that way. And in America it's like it defines everything about us.

Just a little food for thought, because I stumbled across this picture tonight when I was reading a blog (and I love this blog for motivation, by the way). She posts awesome pictures...but I don't like this one (and that's not the blog owner just in case it seems like I'm being bitchy).

Also, why is there a weight hanging off of her pelvis? (source)

I don't actually think this is attractive. Clearly, she's in great shape, but honestly, I don't really want to look that way. Not that I'm ever going to, because let's face it, I'm probably never going to want to work this hard, I'll admit it!

Sure. I would definitely feel better if I lost some weight, no doubt about that. It's just that if I lost 20 pounds, I wouldn't come close to looking like this, but I think that's okay. Really, I do. I would certainly feel better about myself. Maybe my view has changed since I seriously started training again and that I've decided to tackle a full marathon. Now I think more about the fact that I would probably be faster if I was in better shape, not just that I simply need to lose weight. Marathon training (and racing in general) has sort of changed my views. Thanks, running!

                    Love this! Also from the same blog...    (source)

Don't get me wrong, most people could improve their bodies and I'm definitely including myself in that category. It's just that maybe we could cut ourselves a little slack and be a little more comfortable in our own skin because there's definitely someone out there that would love us for who we are now, not who we might be later. And yeah, we need to love ourselves first, blah, blah, blah, but we tend to define ourselves through the eyes of others and maybe we think that others don't find us attractive (okay, maybe I'm talking about me, here) and our vision is off.

Something to think about. Someone remind me I posted this when I starting beating myself up again, k? ;)

In other news, how freaking cute is this?

(source)