The Hollywood illusion

Wednesday week 1

The Hollywood Illusion

When You Realize You’ve Been Measuring Yourself by a Show

Let’s be real—Hollywood has been shaping how women feel about themselves for decades.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ve been caught in it more times than you’d like to admit.

Not long ago, I saw a video of Candace Cameron Bure crying about how she had mistreated her body. She was soft-spoken, emotional, talking about aging, motherhood, and learning to love the body that carried her through it all.

And to be honest?

My first reaction was… annoyance.

I thought, Oh come on, Candace. You’ve looked amazing in every season of your life. You’ve been the standard. You’ve profited from it. And now we’re crying about the damage?

It irritated me.

But then I softened a bit. Because the truth is—she’s part of the problem, but she’s also a victim of it too.

Even the women who seem to “have it all” are still out here tying themselves into knots to stay relevant.

And it’s exhausting—for all of us.

Let’s Be Honest About What We’ve Bought Into

We were never meant to fear aging.

We weren’t designed to compete with twenty-year-olds—or with filtered versions of our past selves.

But somehow, that message got planted.

Through Hollywood. Through filters. Through comparison culture.

And it stuck.

I remember being 21—newly married, unsure of myself, and trying to be what I thought was “ideal.”

No one demanded it—but I still felt like I had to perform.

And now when I look at old photos, I think: What was I so insecure about? I looked beautiful.

But I didn’t feel it.

Now for the Hashtag Girl…

I came across a girl on Instagram recently who posted a selfie with hashtags like:

#hotAF #prettygirl #stillgotit

And I’ll be honest—I did judge her.

I thought, Good Lord… let’s just stop.

It felt like too much. Like she was trying to prove something.

Like she was saying, “Please see me. Please affirm me. Please still find me beautiful.”

And it hit me: We’re all just trying to be seen.

Some of us try to get it through attention.

Some through approval.

Some through how we dress, how we post, how we perform.

And most of the time, it’s not about confidence.

It’s about ego.

We want someone to say:

“You’re still beautiful.”

“You’re still relevant.”

“You’re still worth noticing.”

But the world is a shaky place to look for validation.

It’s hot and cold. Fickle and fading.

And it will never feed your soul—only your insecurity.

Let’s Let Go of Ego and Lean into Truth

Let’s stop letting ego lead us.

Let’s start letting God define us.

Let’s stop asking, “Do they see me?”

And start asking, “What does God see in me?”

Let’s stop chasing the gold stars, the filtered perfection, the applause of people who don’t even know our hearts.

And let’s return to the only opinion that actually matters.

God’s.

Because His voice isn’t changing with trends.

It’s not aging out.

It’s not comparing you to her.

It’s steady.

It’s kind.

It’s secure.

And it says:

“You are mine.

You are loved.

You are still so good.”

Scripture Reflection

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

—Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Affirmation

I’m not here to chase perfection.

I’m here to live beautifully, joyfully, and with quiet confidence in every season of life.

Prayer
God,

You know how this world tries to define beauty—and how often I’ve let it get to me.

Forgive me for comparing, judging, and forgetting what really matters.

Help me to release that pressure.

Help me to enjoy my life and my body—right here, right now.

Let my beauty deepen with grace, kindness, and joy.

Let me reflect You, not the highlight reel.

Amen.

Summer Joie de Vivre: Midweek Glow-Up

Today, give yourself permission to feel lovely and light again:

• Pull your hair back with a silk scarf or put on fun sunglasses

• Make a coconut iced latte or pour peach tea over ice

• Sit outside with a good magazine or journal

• Snap a photo for you—not the internet—and smile

Not because you’re chasing anything…

But because you already carry beauty with ease.

Truth to Carry

You don’t need to rewind the clock.

You don’t need to be filtered, frozen, or flawless.

You just need to be you.❤️

You’re not aging out of beauty.

You’re growing into it.