The Influence by Barbie on Body Image

A sad reality for many of us is that Barbie epitomizes the ideal of beauty and perfection for girls and women. I might add that Snow White, Cinderella and Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) all contribute significantly to the female ideal so many of us feel driven to strive for.

Is it because we believe that a life of goodness, light, fortune and love will be ours if we attain this beauty ideal? Sounds ridiculous, but it is surprising to examine our deeply held beliefs about the power of beauty in our lives.

Our body, a magnificent creation is often looked at as our “billboard” that we carry around in our lives – letting all who cross our path know our level of confidence, discipline, self control, power and desirability.Is this our primary currency in this life?

Is our beauty, demonstrated through our bodies and faces, the ticket to the good life? That is certainly the prevalent message to girls and women.  How much have we bought into this myth? Is it really a fairytale that “thinness” will bring all that we desire to our lives?

Does an obsessive control over the scale readings and our weight make us more powerful and ensure that our “billboard” remains acceptable and beautiful?

Body Image and Reframing Our Paradigm

Let’s consider reframing our paradigm about the female body. In addition to its many crucial functions that ensure our life (breathing, pumping blood, organ function, etc), our body is the temporary encasement of our soul in this life.

• Is it a privilege to have a body and experience this life, to exist?
• Does the God given gift of this body deserve our respect, care and love?

Our paradigms and convictions are unique to each of us. Make sure your true values are congruent with what you tell yourself and believe about your body.