Seek Beauty

There are days where I wake up so exhausted and grumpy that I'm not sure if I truly caught any sleep. Even so, I trudge on through my daily chores and put on a happy face. I'm a firm believer in the, "Fake it till you make it." concept and on days like these I have to place this theory into action. The most valuable approach for me is seeking beauty in the ordinary.

Take a moment and look around you.

What do you see?

Look past the obvious.

Call on your senses.

Is there something that you usually wouldn't notice that caught you eye?

Does it make you smile? Remember? Does it bring you joy?

Yes, that it!

Take a mental picture or an actual photo, if it helps.

Now, take that peace and try to carry it with you throughout your day.

When you're feeling a bit stressed, recall that mental picture. Take a few deep cleansing breaths as you focus on the image and bring yourself back to center.

Come back to this practice, if needed.

We get so busy in our lives that we don't always take the time to look around us and take in the little things that we would usually miss. This became so obvious to me when my son was a tot and he would be spellbound by what I deemed ordinary but he considered extraordinary. A rain drop, a snowflake, the wind blowing his hair, a butterfly, or even a flower amongst weeds.

Seek it and you will find it.

Hugs,

She Walks in Beauty

Hugs,

You are beautiful

Good morning, beautiful beings! I wanted to share a few fun self portraits that accompany a special You Are Beautiful project I have in the works. Please, please watch the video below and know that you are an amazing, unique, and beautiful person! Know it. Feel it. Believe it.

Go. Be. Amazing.

Hugs,

Note to you

Hugs,

The Beauty of the Butterfly

More than meets the eye

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There have been many discussions lately on body size and body image. Especially with the news story of Jennifer Livingston the newscaster from Wisconsin who was criticized for her size. (BTW - What gives someone the right to critique her just because she’s in the public eye.) Anyway, I felt like it was time to discuss this on a personal level even though it’s generally something I would rather be the elephant in the room.

I truly believe that the most attractive feature of a person in what’s on the inside, their true inner beauty. No matter your size, shape, genetics, etc. if you are filled with love and kindness you are a beautiful person. Have you ever met someone who had good looks outwardly but as soon as they opened their mouth it ruined the whole image? You know, they were mean-spirited or smug and you no longer saw their outward appearance. Instead you saw their inner unattractiveness. They no longer had the same appeal they did at first glance.

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Unfortunately, society generally bases a person’s worth solely on what the eye can see. Regrettably, we also tend to judge our own selves by this same standard. The truth is – we are so much more than that. Our beauty runs so much deeper than our outward shell. The core of who you are, your essence, your heart, and your soul, cannot be viewed with the naked eye.

These words that I type are words that I’m trying to remember each day as my own truth. I’ve struggled with my body image for a far back as I can remember. For the past few years, you can add my weight/body size to the ever-growing list of personal struggles. This is a delicate and private battle that I’ve endured and my self-worth has suffered the most.

I don’t want to live in shame. I have no reason to be embarrassed or uncomfortable. I’m the same person I was two years ago and I’ll be the same person two years from now (hopefully a little bit wiser!). This body, this shell, is not who I am. I dress it and decorate it and cover it in war paint to hide my battle scars. It is the mask that I hide behind. It is my armor and my shield. It is my vehicle in which I will travel this lifetime within. It is a part of me but it is not ME. It is not my true authentic magnificent self.

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I am so deeply amazed by the incredible women who have spoken up lately about how this news story personally touched them and their bravery in sharing their own stories with the community. We have to be here for each other and build each other up. When we embrace each other and acknowledge our shame, the shame no longer controls us and the healing can begin.

You are beautiful.

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Hugs,

P.S.

If you don’t believe me, read these stories:
Kind Over Matter
Vivienne McMaster
Her Holistic Health

Beautiful by Design

I never like when a great deal of emphasis is placed on beauty. I guess that’s because I never thought of myself as beautiful, at least not on the outside. I can look at art and the magnificent creations in the world as beautiful. I can look at others and notice their beautiful features but never myself.

The more I read (Captivating) and the more I consider my own traits I’m coming to the realization that I have more beauty than I imagined. I know I have a kind, loving heart and I know that I’m receptive to the feelings of others and maybe, just maybe, there’s more to me than my internal glow.

It’s amazing when we think about how our body works – our heart knows to beat, our organs know how to function autonomously, and breathing is second nature. We are amazing, exquisite creatures! We think, we feel, we laugh, and we cry. Blood systematically flows through our bodies and our brain, arms, and legs work in coordination to move us to and fro. Even if you don’t believe in God, we can agree that we are the most brilliant design of some higher power of some sort.

What’s even more fascinating is that we are all the same yet so very different. I have my own unique DNA, fingerprints, looks, and personality. There is no one else on this earth that has the exact same qualities as me. And you too. You are an exceptional, incomparable, and matchless being for which there is no imitation. You are beautiful beyond compare. Really, no one can be compared to you because there is no one like you. You cannot be replicated.

Beautiful, unique, You.

Beautiful by design. 

Hugs,

You're beautiful, it's true.

 

Ladies, you are so much more than what can be viewed in a glance. You are more than your body shape, size, or skin color. You are more than the airbrushed images you see in magazines. You are more than you believe you are. You have thoughts, emotions, and dreams. You are amazing, a miracle, brave, bold, and beautiful.

Brave Girls Club

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ~Confucius

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A number on the scale doesn't define who you are as a person.

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Don't let others decide your self-worth.

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Believe it.

 

XOXO,
Amanda