Beware the Glamour
Glamour may be used to describe when we see something especially beautiful that beguiles us in a certain way. For those of us who say we appreciate beauty in all its forms, the application of glamour can be seen as a dichotomy of negative and positive traits. We may like it best—maybe accept something or someone more—when it is beautiful; yet, we are cautioned against the mask of beauty that is only ‘skin-deep.’
Nature itself provides many keys to our reality, and “keeping it real,” that we ought to consider. If we pay attention to what we call ‘natural beauty,’ we do begin to see and can make better personal judgments about what we welcome into our everyday existence. We can be honest in admitting there are different kinds or shades of beauty, and that some of the simplest things can be very artful in and of themselves.
This would mean that each of us must come to some sort of determination—at some point, and maybe at many points throughout our lives—about what type of measures we wish to employ on our path when it comes to the application and appreciation of beauty and what we consider as glamorous. When we understand that beauty originates from within, the external addition of color or maintenance of youth tends to be a little less important, perhaps. Consider how hard we may work to hide the aging of our own bodies, as if to postpone the inevitable.
Through the skilled application of hair color, moisturizer and makeup, and clothing that fits our body well, we are able to evoke just about any type of illusion we may seek to project. We see this happen quite often, and can, in fact, recoil in a reaction akin to horror when we see a loved one “at their worst;” perhaps sick, without makeup, with their hair disheveled, or clothes unkempt.
Yet, all these are merely the external trappings we associate with some element of glamour. These are changeable, and can be added to or subtracted from in any given day. They serve an important purpose, though; which is the on-going illusion that may delude us into “keeping up appearances,” along with thinking or acting a certain way. This is when we need to be the most cautious.
We can certainly look to the glamorous people among us for some illustrative clues. Actors, especially those in the limelight of Hollywood, often have entire teams of people whose job it is to craft their image, design their clothes, and project an air of mystery and allure, which keeps us coming back for more. They see plastic surgeons, work out with personal trainers, and are coached along to speak, act, and look in a standard way. Stars are warned against ‘overexposure,’ so that their work will generate interest and sales for whatever product(s) they endorse.
Even people who are regularly in the news, we must remember, are in the entertainment business. They are on air to sell advertisements in between the news bits; and can be rewarded well for how well we may be manipulated. It can very well be likened to a magic trick, sleight of hand, or trick of the eye.
The importance we give to any such aspect of illusion in our physical matrix is often our own doing, to a certain extent. We can attach quite a lot of energy to what we think. Our expectations go a long way in meeting our desires, which can sometimes be at odds with our needs. Something that appears too good to be true, very often is.
Here is where another dangerous aspect can arise. Not only might we be ‘tricked’ by what we see, we may be moved into action (or inaction) by what we do not see. If we happen to watch a war-time clash on the news in some foreign country, we may be relieved to think that ‘at least it is not happening here, to us.’ –What might we do, if it did? Those kinds of mistaken thoughts seem to escape our detection, and can lead to a sense of distance, separation, and apathy, at the very least.
Glamour serves to immerse us into a beautiful, false sense of security at times. We become so used to seeing the same image on a regular basis that it can lose its luster and become commonplace. If we are not careful to maintain a firm grounding in reality, we may easily be taken along for a ride that may not be of our own choosing–complete with the thrills and chills of a Hollywood-type ending, where we crash and burn. As with any sort of visual movie, there is a lot included in the subliminal projection that is received by our brain in a visual manner.
Nature serves as our reminder to seek the world of reality, beyond the glitz and glamour. “Real life” is filled with things that are not always so nice to behold. Everything, in its time, ripens with age, molts with the season, and decays after death, which is all part of the cycle of life. To seek glamour without the reality can leave us feeling lost in a hall of mirrors, inured to the illusion, and caught in the ‘mirage of the supernatural’—seemingly of our own design, but not.
This is where choice can be an important remedy to the glamour. We can mindfully choose to not participate in the illusion, and to minimize the extreme when it comes to beautification of whatever we see and touch. Things may be perfectly fine as they are, without our “improvements,” and we need to recognize what is helpful and harmful in the overall scheme of things.
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About the Author
Kathy Custren is a mother of four, who strives for balance and has a deep respect for All. Interests include advocacy, the arts, communication, education, health, humanity’s cosmic origins, nature, philosophy, spirituality and wellness. Visit her page “Consciousness Live” on Facebook, and her site at kathyc-mindblogger.blogspot.com.
