It is the inside, not the outside that counts, right? That is what we hear but what we see around us is totally different.  Every day, we are inundated with images of so-called ”perfect” physical beauty and we feel pressured to measure up.  These two concepts of beauty seem to contradict one another.  If beauty is on the inside, then we should be putting our energy into cultivating ourselves to be the greatest possible versions of ourselves.  If beauty is on the outside, we need to head to the gym, the spa or the mall!

Since the beginning of recorded history, the most celebrated beauties have been soft, voluptuous and curvy.  Natural beauty was something to be admired and celebrated.  But as society has progressed and technology has permeated our culture, this beauty paradigm has changed.  As a result of the strength and success of capitalism and the media that supports it, our culture has become enamored with technology and the changes it can make to the human body.  The result is the ever-growing idea that one can never be too thin - or have too much money, for that matter!  Natural beauty has come to be viewed as trivial while manufactured beauty has become a powerful status symbol. My question is, is this really a healthy ideal for us to embrace? Is this who we really want to be?

Suffering Inspires Growth

We want to protect our children from suffering.  It is our instinct.  We want to protect them from absolutely every little fall, sniffle, cut, disappointment, sadness and bruise - of the body or of the ego. We feel it is our parental duty and many of us fall into the trap of measuring our success as parents by how comfortable and happy our children seem to be. But, are we inadvertently doing our children a disservice?  When children are so protected from disappointment, discomfort and hurt, how to they develop the tools and strength they need to be successful in life? Are we preparing them for reality, or a fantasy life where success is guaranteed with minimal effort and pain does not exist? How do they learn to cope with the big setbacks in life if they never learn to handle the little ones?