So, I had this intriguing thought this morning (brace yourselves); why do women wear jewlery?
Thanks to my Mom (and Amber's attitude of we can do anything) I stumbled into making earrings. All of the sudden I had sold 18 pairs of earrings that I didn't even think were extremely beautiful. Why the craze over jewlery?
I think there is a yearning within women to know we are beautiful. John and Stasi Eldredge say that women have a Question they need answered, "Am I captivating? Am I lovely? Am I beautiful?" These are the questions we need to have answered.
Sadly I think part of the craze over jewelry is for someone else to notice our beauty (this would be external beauty).
But I don't think this is always the case. I think for some women wearing jewlery is a way of expressing their inner beauty.
Let me expound on that thought (not that you have a say in it!!!)...
I never used to wear much jewlery. I felt like it drew attention to me I did not want. I felt like I was faking being beautiful because I was a long way off from believing I was beautiful.
As His Love has continued to permeate through the depths of my heart, I am beginning to see some external evidences of this belief that I am beautiful. One of those is that I am a lot more likely to wear jewlery, and I even think about jewlery as I am deciding on clothes....
Maybe I am stretching here, but I really don't think its that far of a reach...
On a side note... I can remember thinking to myself I wished that one day my beauty would be so captivating it would "light up a room" (we hear that all the time, don't we girls???). I think in my youth I thought that lighting up a room had to do with physical beauty, but I know now that it is a presence, a spiritual presence.
I can remember thinking to myself, somewhere in the depths of my heart, this might not ever happen for me....
But God, in His faithful love and desperation to Romance my soul, spoke these words into my life. The power of these words still resonates in my heart.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Inner beauty
Posted by Ashlee Liddell at 8:05 AM
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9 comments:
I dont know of many women that think they are attractive to guys; even those that are knockouts. One of the most attractive women I know has only dated 2 guys and it isn't from not wanting...she just never got asked out (probably guys were extremly intimidated) She met a really wonderful guy that had the courage to ask her out, and they're very very close to getting engaged. Dave, you're a very lucky guy!
For me, I look deeper than appearance....Honestly, I am not attracted to what most people think is "beautiful"...I'm the exact opposite...I love a woman that can be content with the way she is...someone that can walk around without makeup.
I think it is very important as guys to recognize a woman's attempt to show her beauty (we're pretty dense sometimes tho, please forgive us)..Jewelery and clothes and makeup can transform a woman into someone amazing..A woman that knows she's beautiful radiates confidence...guys are like flies attracted to a lightbulb.
We (guys) need to compliment women on that..We need to recognize how much effort women put into their appearance. Masculinity reveals Beauty, and Beauty reveals Masculinity. Just as our bodies were designed to be complimentary, so are our personalities.
I don't wear much jewelry, but I did put in earrings again after I read that Camerin Courtney article about femininity. I guess I'd gotten in that mindset of, jewelry's frivolous, plus I don't want to attract attention to myself, etc. But then I thought about how I *am* a woman, and looking feminine is a good thing! So I'm sorta gravitating toward jewelry again (or at least earrings, lest the holes close up).
One of my guy friends the other day said that when a girl is in her pjs and has her hair in a ponytail and no make up on, that's when she's probably her most attractive. I can't speak for guys but maybe my friend feels this way because that's when a girl isn't putting on any sort of facade & maybe what he is so attracted to is the real her. Any guys have some insight on this one?
Ashlee will you make me some earrings?? That would be so fun! :)
first of all, ashlee...you are one of the most beautiful people i know and i do believe that when you walk into a room, your presence lights up the place. it is evident that God is in you and because of that you are amazing...you are kind, loving, forgiving, patient, loyal, caring and the list goes on. you are my light bulb :)
and, at the risk of opening up myself to some complete strangers...i would like to ponder the above mentioned words from tmproff..."one of the most attractive women i know has only dated 2 guys and it isn't from not wanting...she just never got asked out (probably guys were extremely intimidated)." this is something that has always perplexed me as it is what people have told me..."terri, you're just too intimidating"...i don't get that. if guys truly want us to be ourselves...which i try to do as best i can...how can the intimidation be a factor? how can one be less intimidating if one is trying to be themselves in the first place? this lends to the idea that one should downplay their personality a bit in order to appear less intimidating which then leads to the thought that the girl is not being herself. see the irony??
i don't view myself as intimidating at all and sometimes, it kinda upsets me when someone says that because it makes me feel as though i'm doing something wrong...which leads to me thinking i need to seriously change something inside.
anyhoo...sorry to rattle here...i'm just curious as to this whole thought...
Terrip,
The intimidation isn't created by you in this case...it's the guy's imagination going wild with all of the possible rejections you could give him (I'm sure you wouldn't be so cruel) but it's what the guy is thinking.
The best way to be less intimidating? You can always burp really loud in front of all of your guy friends.
Aziner...
Your earrings are on the way! You really need to make another trip to Houston though so we can all craft together!
Terrip...thank you. As far as the intimidation goes, I agree with Tmproff, the intimidation is the guys....Keep being yourself, because I happen to think you are an amazing catch (my Daddy does too!!!)!
Ashlee, this thought about inner beauty is so interesting to me, because I grew up thinking that you either had inner beauty or outer beauty. I don't think I ever put it so absolutely in my mind, but I really thought it was one or the other, and of course outer beauty went with all those things like guys noticing you and popularity and all of that.
What a terrible place women have gotten themselves in - we tend to either broadcast flaws in other women in order to feel better about ourselves, or we constantly put oursevles down in some sort of martyr attitude. I want to see myself and others as God does.
Thanks Ashlee! I didn't know you & Amber were getting into jewelry making, that's great! I would love to come down to Houston and craft with you girls. I really need to make a trip to Mad Potter too. Maybe in the spring, it all depends on Raj's graduation.
Amber, I definitely get where you're coming from. I think there is such a distinction put on the two that is not hard to make the jump to thinking you have one or the other. But it does really seem that when a woman focuses on her inner beauty it is reflected on the outside. The opposite is true as well. (The same is true of guys, but we were talking about women here.) I am almost never attracted to a person in any manner, friendship, dating, etc., until I have gotten a glimpse of what's on the inside. And in case there's any question, you have both.
tmproff...i'll keep that burping thing in mind :)
thanks for the tip...
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