January 2015

Just about every woman wants to feel that she’s beautiful.I have been around numerous women who are beautiful but don’t believe they are. I am personally very familiar with the struggle (we all go through on some level) to believe that we are beautiful just as we are. No ifs, no buts. Not in comparison, not in spite of.

When I say “feeling beautiful,” I mean inside and out. When I say “beautiful,” I mean knowing and accepting the instrinsic beauty of your soul, feeling worthy without “a reason.” Not needing someone to validate it by how many likes/comments you receive on Facebook, or racing out to buy the newest beauty item because everyone is raving about it. It’s not making your husband take 50 pictures until you find one with the right angle that makes you look slim enough (sorry Myles!) I say this because this week I needed to take professional pictures for an upcoming project. However, I am on a strict financial budget for 2015 (I’ll post about that one later.) Once I calculated the cost of all the things I would need (a new outfit, hiring a photographer, makeup, hair, and not being slim enough) I rationalized pictures were not for me this week! Ha!

I had a light bulb moment! Groupon is offering a photo package for 19.99 and I thought I should give it a try! I must say my expectations for these photos were not aimed high! Being I only used Lifeprint for those dreadful high school photos. Yep, you know the ones where you are put in put you in an uncomfortable and unnatural position so it always looks phony and painful. But, this fit my price point so it would have to work! I decided to wear my hair (eek), do my own makeup (drugstore products), wear my old clothes with pride, and voilà!

You see, we live in a very narcissistic and materialistic era. If we are not careful, we will find our eyes fixated society’s unrealistic standards of beauty/acquiring more things, and we’re suffocating to find our place in that picture. Stop complaining about what you don’t have and make the best of what you do have. Turn what you have into something great.

I know this post was a little lengthy, but if you would like to see more beauty posts comment below!! And remember, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. God has given you enough now use it and watch him turn something practical into something extraordinary.

xo,
Shalae