I was struck by a recent social media post in which the author of the article presented pictures of two women of vastly different cultures, and age (106, 81) and presented a comparison of these two women referencing beauty and aging. This author expressed the visceral reaction she had when she saw one of the women posed in a glamour shot, and she seemingly pitted one woman against the other in her comparison, with a taint of a jab at the younger of the two for her choice to express herself in the way she did.
Why would this article prompt me to write this blog? A large part of my life’s mission is teaching & guiding men and women to embrace their uniqueness, to heal, to love themselves unconditionally, and step out into the world free from concern for what others may think of them. How one chooses to age, dress, present, and carry themselves is a unique expression of their individuality. We are not meant to be carbon copies, and beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is a combination of qualities that please the aesthetic senses, particularly sight. It is subjective and cannot be judged objectively, for what one person finds beautiful may not appeal to another. What one finds physically attractive, interesting, or appealing in one way, someone else may find non-attractive, boring, or uninteresting.
Living authentically means being true to yourself, and oftentimes it takes confidence, and bravery. Those who are more authentic allow themselves to be guided internally versus externally. They explore their own beliefs, ideals, and standards, and are guided by their internal compass. Authentic people search for, and discover their own unique way of pursuing their passions and purpose.
Living authentically is liberating. When one feels whole, complete, and healthy, they will not concern themselves with other people’s opinions of them, nor will they feel threatened by others. They are not concerned with standards or perceived standards of what they should or should not look like……..at any age.
Several facts about confident and genuine people are:
They are not judgmental. Being honest about their own faults, embracing individuality and differences, they do not view people through a lens of bias or perceived expectations. This provides a platform for acceptance regardless of distinctness.
They have solid self-esteem. Their self-esteem is neither too high, nor too low; it is stable. As a result, authentic people tolerate and absorb both positive and negative feedback, admit their faults, and are therefore accepting of others because they are not threatened by imperfection.
They do not diminish others. They can have more open and honest conversations without the need to diminish someone else’s sense of self-worth.
It is misguided to leverage oneself against another. Your uniqueness is special.
Reveal in it.
If you are not feeling pure self-acceptance, self-love, and the confidence to let your light shine in only the way you can, reach out to me. I will guide you to heal and fall in love with yourself, unashamedly.
Freedom lies in letting go of judgment of oneself and others.
Just Do You!
~LisaMarie