All the things she could be, if she weren't so set on being thin

Our bodies are often the target for our harshest judgements and the barometer by which we measure our self worth. We hold ourselves up to unattainable standards and berate ourselves for coming up short of perfection. It's natural and human to want to be at your physical best; but this means that we have to stop criticizing, judging and finding fault with our bodies. The drive to improve yourself is healthy, but only if it comes from a place of self love as opposed to a feeling of inadequacy. I aspire to get to a place where I truly love myself and accept myself as I am. My mom has always told me to accept the things I can not change, and change the things I can. The key, she says, is having the wisdom to know the difference. Self acceptance becomes harder all the time, as we are constantly bombarded with images of so-called perfection. How are we ever supposed to feel like we're good enough when advertising is always telling us that we're not? I certainly wish that there was some way to protect my future children from it. Even with a supportive and loving mother who has made every effort to instill confidence and self love in me, it's impossible not to feel the pressure. I have battled with body image issues and worried about what I look like for as long as I can remember. The fact is, I am just never going to look like Gisele Bundchen or Heidi Klum; but that should be okay. I am who I am. Why can't that be good enough?
In a world where the media so often takes aim at our insecurities, Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty challenges this narrow definition of attractiveness. It's about time that we took a look at the reality of how the beauty industry tears apart our self esteem. I think that Dove really needs to be applauded for this recent ad campaign.