You’re a natural beauty!

Modelling competitions are all the craze these days.  Canada’s top model is running another season. Perfection is the new standard set by air brushed photos.  Young girls strive to look sexy and starve their already anorexic bodies.  But layers of makeup cannot mask the glaring absence shown in some of these young women’s eyes.  No parent wants to lose her daughter or son to the unreal world of “cameras know best” and "strut your stuff " no matter what the cost to your fragile self esteem. But what if there was a competition that focused on inner natural beauty,  the beauty that shines from the inside out?  What if each person was encouraged to learn more about who they are as a real person and then to share that with others?  And what if there was an opportunity to consider not only themselves but what they bring to their community? 

Carriage House Studio is holding such a competition this summer.  Here, healthy attitudes towards both modelling and competition are encouraged.  Yes, there is a prize and a winner chosen in September, but each contestant is invited to use this opportunity to honestly and lovingly look within and ask in what ways they are being the best they can.  Are they authentically expressing themselves in their community?  Are they allowing their real beauty to shine through their eyes and extend outward through their hands and connect with others?  What is real beauty?

I believe it comes from knowing who we are.  It comes from daring to look inside and identify the unique and particular gifts as well as see those aspects of youngness, awkwardness and a fear  to trust life again.  The real question lies in our attitude towards ourselves and whether we allow our fear to stop us from shining our light and sharing our gifts.  Our Beauty shines through us when we are at home in ourselves, in our bodies and we know who we care about and love.  Beauty requires both an acceptance of ourselves and a willingness to continue to grow and change.

Bring a healthy attitude to this competition and realize that first and foremost you are competing with yourself to be your best.  This is your life long responsibility. It takes courage to look inside and delight in who you are and share that with others. Are you up for it?  

Written by Linda Zarytski, M.E.S. Psychotherapist, Marriage and Family Counsellor Helping individuals and families in both Mount Forest and Hanover communities