The other morning I happened to catch a segment on “Good Morning America” but before they went to the commercial the host said, “Up next we will hear about one woman’s quest to remake herself like her favorite celebs”. I was intrigued of course which is how they keep you watching, and so I waited curiously to see what this woman discovered. After spending eights months taking on the traits of some of her favorite stars she explained why she went on this quest. She said, “I thought that maybe if I could be more like them I could have it all together too”.
This thirty-two year old woman and mother of an eleven month old worked out with Jennifer Aniston’s personal trainer (at home on T.V.), dressed like Sarah Jessica Parker, and started eating like Gwyneth Paltrow. After all was said and done she believes that there are “perks to drinking the celebrity lifestyle cool-aid”, saying, “it puts a spring in your step and helps you feel better about yourself”.
At the end of the interview on GMA her closing comment was, “I think we take our role model’s where we can get them”.
My heart was saddened for this young woman. But I think if we’re honest, many of us as women have gone on a similar quest at one time or another. We may not go public with it and we may even deny it. Yet deep down we buy into the myth that if we had someone else’ life or look, then we would feel better about ourselves. The media does a great job in portraying a public image of the accolades, acceptance, beauty and success of others. Before long we too are buying into and pursuing the images that we see. We find ourselves trying to makeover our lives or bodies to achieve what we think will quiet our unresolved longings.
The pursuit to modify and change ourselves is an age old quest. The only difference in our culture is that we have the media to help keep us obsessed about it.
As I begin this series I want to invite you to go on a different quest with me. My hope is to take us back to the truth. God’s word has more than a few things to say about how we are to see ourselves as women of God and what our quest should be.
Have you battled with thinking that if only you had someone else’ life you could be happier?
How much time and money do you spend trying to copy the lifestyle of those whom you think “have it all”?
Read 2Corinthians 3:18 in your bible. What do you think God is saying to us in this passage?