Marketing pummels us every moment with a definition of beauty. What personal beauty should look like and what our homes, cars, children, etc. should look like to achieve the cultural definition of perfect beauty. A quick trip around the world will reveal that beauty is not consistent across cultures or country borders. Just as we are unique, our tastes are unique if left to our own devices. There are general trends that find blue is a favorite color and a six-pack is preferred over a kegger, however, each of us will deviate in our definition at some point. It is good to express your appreciation of what beauty is to you and resist the temptation to conform. I have found myself looking for the deformed fruit or strange color eggs at the farmers market just because they are different than the "perfect" products that now fill the shelves. There is a beauty in diversity and character; not everything has to be perfect.

How does your definition rebel against the cultural norm? How do you resist the barrage of information coming at you to influence your beliefs about beauty? What is something that you think is ugly and can you find someone (probably Google) that finds beauty in that same object? How has your definition of beauty changed? How has the world influenced your definition of beauty? Do you need to challenge your own beliefs?