It's not hard to see the standards of beauty women are held to every day. Images of "beautiful" women are all over the media, their bodies simultaneously used to sell products to consumers and to show women what they should be aiming for. So there are plenty of articles that will tell you all about these beauty standards, about how they negatively affect women, or about how beautiful is one of the only things a woman is essentially expected to be in our society. This is not any of those articles.
While it's obviously not a bad thing to be beautiful, beauty should not be the only measure of a woman's worth. And women are striving for a space to be considered as autonomous, complex human beings -- not just art objects. Perhaps this was best said by Dr. Cristina Yang on " Grey's Anatomy" who had the perfect response when her husband tried to appease her by calling her beautiful:
So in honor of Dr. Cristina Yang, let's start acknowledging all of the real, complex, wonderful ladies out there and appreciating them for all they do. And to start you off, here are 61 things to call the women in your life besides beautiful.
1. Brilliant
2. Ambitious
3. Enthusiastic
4. Supportive
5. Independent
6. Considerate
7. Passionate
8. Hilarious
9. Generous
10. Assertive
11. Creative
12. Organized
13. Memorable
14. Bright
15. Successful
16. A Great Friend
17. Reliable
18. Adaptable
19. Chill
20. Loyal
21. Communicative
22. A Blessing
23. Persistent
24. Compassionate
25. Positive
26. Charming
27. Stylish
28. Determined
29. Helpful
30. A Great Listener
31. Brave
32. Kind
33. Calm
34. Engaging
35. Rational
36. Strong
37. Courageous
38. Diplomatic
39. Energetic
40. Invincible
41. Hard-Working
42. Studious
43. Irresistible
44. Diligent
45. Confident
46.Thoughtful
47. Formidable
48. Sociable
49. Talented
50. Knowledgeable
51. Friendly
52. Real
53. Imaginative
54. Outgoing
55. Giving
56. Opinionated
57. Honest
58. Bold
59. Relaxed
60. Articulate
61. Inspiring