Amy asked me this morning, “Am I beautiful?” I was thinking, “Of course you are beautiful!” But I know many of you women reading this ask the same thing. It’s obvious that many women are self-conscious about the way they look.

I learned some disgusting statistics today: In 2012, women had more than 9.1 million cosmetic procedures - breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery, and breast lift, to name a few. There has been a 252% increase in women who get cosmetic procedures since 1997 (source). This made me sick.

The world sets up unrealistic “beauty” expectations for women.

Watch a TV show or movie, look at a magazine cover, look at ads online and you will see models: skinny, young, acne free, beautifully kept hair, perfectly white teeth…no wrinkles or blemishes or health problems. This is how you should look, right? Yeah, right!

I’ll tell you a secret: advertising and marketing tactics are full of lies! The models you see spend a majority of their time focused on how they look, going to the gym, and eating perfectly. Their producers and artists spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars setting up the perfect makeup, video and picture effects, lighting, and special camera work. You have work, or school, or kids, or family problems, or financial stresses, or health problems, or hereditary challenges…you can’t meet these unrealistic expectations and you shouldn’t have to in order to feel valued!

You are beautiful just the way you are.

I’ll tell you another secret: You are beautiful just the way you are. You ARE. Yes, you should try to be healthy. Yes, you should take care of yourself. But, a real husband and a real man will love you for who you are, not what you look like. It’s ok to be a little overweight. It’s ok to have imperfect teeth, hair, skin, and clothes. It’s ok to be human. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise and don’t tell it to yourself.

So, the next time my wife asks me, “Am I beautiful?” I am going to pick her up, look her in the eyes, and tell her, “Yes dear, you are the most beautiful creature on planet earth.”

Husbands out there, you better do the same! Or else :)

Just keepin’ it fresh, Trevor

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