New 10 of the Month -- Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Copyright (c) 2009 Dawn McIntyre

Through my work with women all over the world, I've developed what I call The New 10 Paradigm ' a new way to define beauty that celebrates and supports the true, genuine beauty of every woman's mind, body and spirit. The New 10 is much more than the 'old 10' ' the woman who may have looked perfect on the outside, but didn't have much going on on the inside. The New 10 is different. She is a woman who radiates beauty both inside and out, no matter what size or shape or race she is.

Every month, I want to take the time to honor a woman who I feel exemplifies the true spirit of the New 10. And this month, I'm going to begin with someone who just leapt out at me from the pages of the newspaper and my TV screen. I'm talking about America's newest Supreme Court Justice ' only the third woman and the first Hispanic ever to hold the position ' Sonia Sotomayor.

To some of you, this might sound like a fairly controversial choice. Not everyone supported her nomination, and to be honest, there's probably no way I could possibly choose someone from the world of politics without ruffling a few feathers. But my choice of Sonia Sotomayor has nothing whatsoever to do with her political views. It has everything to do with her strength, her grace and her femininity ' the things that make her stand out in my mind as a New 10.

Watching the soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice on TV and seeing her in the papers, her confidence, warmth and radiance really struck me. Sotomayor began her life in poverty, but rose to become one of the most respected judges in America. Yet she exhibited a real connection to her past and her roots and the people who helped her to get where she is today.

Through her hearings, Sotomayor conducted herself with grace and humor. She looked her critics in the eye was not afraid to stand firm in her own convictions. This sort of inner strength is part of the mark of a New 10 ' that kind of total confidence in who you are and what you believe that can only add to your beauty.

But Sotomayor's beauty isn't just spiritual. This is a woman who is not a size 6, yet rather than hide herself away in shapeless, dark colors, she attended one of her hearings in a bright red suit. She is also a woman in her fifties whose face is untouched by a plastic surgeon's knife, who proudly and beautifully shows the world the strength and wisdom she has accumulated through the years.

However, to me, the part of Sonia Sotomayor that really stands out is her smile. Almost every time I've seen her, in almost every photo or video clip, she is smiling. And her smile is broad and genuine and real. You can see in her eyes how much joy she feels in living, how much pride she has in her accomplishments and how good she feels just being herself.

To me, that's exactly what the spirit of the New 10 is all about. It's about not just accepting yourself, but loving being who you are. That's why I am proud to call Sonia Sotomayor my New 10 of the Month.


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