How many of you stand in front of your mirror each morning, loathing the way you look? Your acne, your hair color, the size of your hips and thighs, the way your nose is shaped. I, like the most of America, am guilty of all these things. I compare myself daily, many times a day to other women. From magazines, movies, to even Barbie dolls, we’ve all grown up with a skewed perception of beauty. We’re comparing ourselves to something that isn’t real. An image that has been made into what society idolizes as beauty, and looks nothing like the original image, nothing like you or me.

Accord to research the Dove Self-Esteem Fund conducted, globally only 2 percent of women describe themselves as beautiful. TWO PERCENT! That’s crazy talk. The problem is that low self-esteem affects everybody. From 60 year old women concerned about their wrinkles, down to 5 year old little girls concerned with their weight, this crisis is affecting every one of all ages. I have an 8 year old sister who is already self conscious of her body in a bathing suit and obsesses with finding the perfect outfit. And why shouldn’t she, when constantly the media tells us we should fit their fake mold? That tall, skinny, and young is beautiful? In case you haven’t noticed, we are human. We aren’t plastic dolls that can be melted into whatever form we want to be in. We can’t erase our wrinkles and make our eyes larger with the touch of a computer button. This is real life, with real people, real bodies. What most of us don’t realize is that we have real beauty just the way we are. It’s not just about physical appearance either, but about how we succeed in life as well, from our domestic duties to school grades. The world tells us we should be perfect at everything we do.

So what if we’re not perfect? Low self-esteem can lead to depression, eating disorders, self-abuse such as cutting, or being sexual active too early (just to name a few…).  It’s scary how one issue, can lead to so many devastating and life altering issues. And that one issue effects the majority of girls and women around the world.

It’s time to take a stand against this, folks. It’s time for us as women to realize that we are all beautiful just the way we are. Put down that magazine with all the 6 foot tall super skinny models.  Turn off the TV with perfect looking news anchor or Martha Stewart’s perfect holiday decor. Think before you give your daughter that Barbie doll for Christmas.  Turn you negative thoughts into positive ones, think about some thing you do like about yourself. Surround yourself with people who are positive towards you and don’t judge others just as you don’t want to be judged only by your outward appearance.

As Dove says, talk to your daughter to you daughter before the beauty industry does.  I know I as a mother of girls do not want them to grow up hating their bodies or dealing with the constant pressure of being perfect upon them.  We’re human, none of us can be perfect and it’s silly to pretend we can be.  I want them to embrace their flaws and see themselves as unique.  It starts with us, as Moms. Moms who can start to love our selves and in turn it shows our girls, who admire us and mimic our actions,  that they don’t have to live up to perfection either.

Want help with talking with your daughter about these issues? Want to bond with your daughter?  Dove’s website Campain for Real Beauty has amazing resources for both women and girls. I highly, highly recommend taking a look. Watch the videos, they are eye opening.  Read the articles, see the statistics and full report, and participate in the free tools they have. It’s all wonderful and encouraging stuff.

And?  Dove has provided me with 2 books to giveaway! I’ve scanned through both of them when I did my research for one of my classes and honestly, I thought about not doing a giveaway so I could selfishly keep them myself. But, I know that there are so many out there that struggle with this issue and I wanted to do something to encourage others to break past this issue.

First up is the book, “Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters” by Courtney Martin.  This is a fantastic book that covers many issues that are an outcome of low self-esteem. Courtney tells of her own struggles and the stories she found through many interviews with other girls.  I love the image of the perfect girl on the outside and the starving girl on the inside that she talks about. This is a must read, whether you are the lucky winner or not, whether you struggle with image issues or not, it can be a great source for Moms to understand their daughters better.

The second book is “Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds from Now” by Jessica Weiner. Also, a must read.  It’s a step by step guide to loving your body as it is today.  It has wonderful tips and reassuring information that you are not alone. And ya know, how to love yourself for who you are now.

If you’d like to win one of these, simply make a comment on this post telling me which book you are most interested in receiving. Comments will close Thursday, December 18th at midnight. Two winners will be chosen at random, one for each book, and announced on Friday December 19th.

Good luck! And remember…You’re Beautiful. Pass it on.