The Complex Definition Of Beauty

Sunrise on a foggy day, with the luminous sunlight playing among the shadows, is certainly beautiful. Raphael's Transfiguration, with ethereal blue clouds surrounding the risen Jesus is beautiful. A child's face is beautiful. A hand-painted vase brimming with fresh flowers, or even just a lovely evening gown, can be beautiful. So how can you define beauty?

The definition of beauty is complex, legitimate on a number of aesthetic levels. It's not even a matter of values or sensitivity, as beauty can reside in something so seemingly unimportant as a leaf, floating down a quiet stream. Perhaps more to the point, beauty resides everywhere you wish to find it. According to Webster's, beauty is of a very pleasing quality. You may find a chocolate croissant and a cup of fine Arabica coffee to be beautiful, both in form and taste. An old tapestry, made of the finest silks and embroidered with skill, pleases the visual senses and is thus beautiful.

A closer examination of the definition of beauty reveals that there are degrees and venues into which we may assign the identification of beauty. Some are objects of beauty, such as a beautiful piece of jewelry, wrought of breathtaking materials, with such craftsmanship and skill that you can't help but see its loveliness.

However, as you appreciate and apprehend beauty, the definition of beauty narrows and you find yourself looking for a certain refinement that expresses the ethereal beauty that is ageless and is regarded by all of humanity as beauty.

Now you more closely approach true beauty. True beauty cannot be duplicated. The face of a child is unique. The face you see now may never again be duplicated in its expression, wonder and uniqueness. This is a definition of beauty that you can spend a lifetime contemplating and yet never capture, except in your heart.

Have you ever spent a day walking, just watching people and observing their various moods? You may see a hundred people in a day, just walking through the park or sitting on a bench. Each individual has innate beauty. It is up to you to find that definition of beauty which is surely there. Whether that person is a kindly old grandmother feeding birds, a mother tending her kids, or an unfortunate homeless man trying to make the best of his situation, there is beauty in abundance if only you can see it.

When next you contemplate your definition of beauty, include the vagaries of humanity. There you will find spiritual qualities of that ephemeral beauty. Therein lies the definition of beauty.

Article Submitted by Natural Concepts

If you watch television and think that most of the women you see are just far too thin, you are not alone. What is even more amazing is that as thin as they look, they are really thinner than they appear. The camera really does add ten pounds. Models tend to be thin too, and that, along with other things, are showing our little girls that they are just not good enough. That is not true - but that is the message that they are getting. You have to work hard to ensure that your daughters, and even you, have a good and healthy body image.

What you may not realize is that a healthy body image starts when children are very young. If you are walking around the house complaining that you feel 'fat' and if you are always skimping and not eating meals, they are going to pick up on this in ways that you may not understand. Children think their parents are perfect and beautiful, and if you are showing them that you think you are not good enough, they are going to think they are never good enough. That means they are never going to have a healthy body image even when they are older.

You have to monitor not only what you do, but what your children are seeing on television, in print, and even through their friends. You can't keep them from seeing most of it, but you can make sure that you talk to them about it. Once of my favorite sayings is that 'real women have curves' - but you can use whatever you want. Those that are on TV and in print are not realistic and are not what most feel comfortable with. They should be thinking about being healthy for better healthy body image rather than fitting into a size 0 or 00.

If you find that you are having problem with talking to your kids about healthy image, you can do your best to model it for them. You should talk about healthy eating and exercise if you are not happy with your own image, and if you are working towards a lower weight. If you put too much emphasis on it, they are not going to learn good things about how to find a healthy body image. Keep discussing it to a minimum, don't talk about 'dieting,' and work activity into your lives. That is the best way to go about it.

What is hard about healthy body image is that it can be very hard to counteract the bad messages children are getting no matter how hard you try. What you want to do is to try to show them that confidence is the best way to go, and that no matter what your body size, you are going to be attractive if you feel good about who you are. Healthy body image and healthy self image are two different things, but they can complement each other. Got at it from all angles for the best chance of helping them love themselves no matter what.

Article Submitted by Natural Concepts