The Life Changing Magic of Self-Love

What is Beauty?

Most people will tell you that it is how a person looks, what they are wearing, how much they weigh, etc. I completely disagree! Have you ever noticed someone walking down the street or in a store and you were just captivated by them? Why was that? You wondered to yourself, they aren't that good looking, but they just had a thing about them. Did you know that you also harness the ability to have that affect on people? Wanna know the secret? It's called self-love!

The more in tune you are to your own awesomeness the more attractive you become. But you know what is even more powerful? When you don't worry about what "they" think and you do it all just for you to feel awesome for yourself! Yes, ladies and gents, that's beauty! Feeling good inside and out. It's a mindset we can all tune into by getting to know ourselves and loving every bit of it.

Sure, there are things we can do externally to make ourselves look better, or else I would be out of a job! LOL! There will be future posts about enhancing outer beauty soon. For now, and more importantly I will dive into ways you can tune into your inner beauty that have always helped me feel awesome.  There is nothing I can do as a beauty professional to help you feel better about yourself if you don't already have even just a little bit of self love. 

Get into nature and out of your head!

It is important to know that our minds are very powerful and if we're not careful, can make us think we are actually the ones being so judgmental of ourselves. In actuality, we are more than what our minds let us believe. When we take a moment out of our hustle and bustle we can get a glimpse of what really matters, how we feel.

Nature is a marvelous way to get in touch with our feels. It can be as simple as going for a walk in the park, and though I recommend you do this alone, going with a partner, our kids, or our pets is totally fine too.  Do what feels right for you. Weekend camping trip, floating the river, beach getaway, hiking or bike trails, whatever. What is important is that you take in the beauty that our creator has given us. Take deep breaths and oxygenate your brain and body. Focus on every detail that you see and sensation that you feel.  Hold that feeling in your body as you deeply inhale. When you exhale let yourself smile.  It will feel silly at first, but trust me, the more I randomly make myself smile the better I feel. It is a scientific fact that when you smile the physical action creates an emotional response to feel good.  So why not, smile away!

Go the extra mile and disconnect from all your devices and you've got a perfect setting for some serious self-love.  It is very difficult to not think negatively about ourselves when we are bombarded with imagery of "perfect" lives and "perfect" beauty on social media outlets.  Most of what people post has been altered in some way and they are only showing you the "best of" reel, so don't be so hard on yourself. Instead, sit in stillness at your chosen nature location and with your eyes closed or open take a moment to focus on your breath and feel the cold air coming in through your nostrils and notice how it comes out warm. Anytime you have a thought other than the sensation of our breath don't dwell on it or judge it. it is just a thought. go back to focusing on your breath. Do this as long as you can. It can be one minute or 30 or more. This is the basis for meditation. Don't try and clear your mind but focus on your breath. There is a really great book (here) that goes into how our thoughts come from our ego, but we are not our ego, so disconnecting from our thoughts helps us get to know ourselves. Our true selves. That's self-love!

Find a Hobby.

Another way to get out of your head and feel good about who you really are is to find something that makes you feel really happy and do more of that thing! Simple right?

Reading a good book is a great hobby! I personally love to read non-fiction. I love learning about all kinds of new beauty treatments, natural healing remedies, lady boss entrepreneur stuff and family topics. Getting out of my head and into a new subject helps me to discover new interests and leaves me less time to dwell on any perceived imperfections.  Most of my clients love getting into a good novel, it your choice. Not a big reader? Try and audiobook or podcast. Those are fantastic during your daily commutes!

Crafts are wonderful hobbies to pick up as well! It's so much fun to try making new things with your hands and creating awesome projects that could be gifts to make someone happy. Need some ideas and are in the Houston area check out my friend Emily's awesome business The Guild, where she hosts some really amazing art workshops and farm to table diners. I highly recommend it, there is so much to do and experience.

Prefer being more active? Join your nearby gym or local boot camp. Being physical not only helps you look better outside, but boosts serotonin in your brain literally making you feel better. A good stretch through yoga or a challenging indoor rock climbing club are great options too. If you aren't already active go slow. Set aside time each day to do a little activity and increase the intensity and time a little each time. You don't want to burn yourself out too soon. Physical activity should be fun not exhausting. The important thing is to find something you enjoy and actually do more of that in your life!

Pamper yourself.

There is no better form of self-love than self-care. Again, that is a personal preference as to what exactly that means but the recurring theme here is to get to know yourself and what makes you feel good. The better you feel, the more unstoppable you become. It becomes increasingly difficult to get down on yourself when you spend so much time feeling good! Get it?! Good!

I have always had an inclination to natural forms of healing and beauty treatments.  I feel like having that kind of connection to the earth and all the properties that plants possess helps us to reclaim our true nature.  A lovely way to take advantage of those wonderful plant properties is through the use of essential oils.  A few drops of soothing lavender or rose in your bath can transport you to a calming secret garden. Using an energizing blend of peppermint and wild orange in some body lotion can stimulate your senses and boost your mood. So many ways to enhance and alter our experience this way. If you want more info I can host a class for you and some friends/family to show you how you can use essential oils to support your families wellness and mood. You can also learn more by checking out my doTERRA website where you can find links to videos and articles about the many ways to use oils.

What does your morning routine look like? Is it hectic or calm? Which would you prefer? Make the conscious effort to wake up a few minutes earlier if you are feeling rushed. Getting a good start to your day helps the rest of the day go great.  Try doing the breathing exercise mentioned above first thing in the morning even if it's for 1 minute, again aiming to increase the time a little each day. I recommend you get out of bed to do this because I almost always fall back asleep when I try to do my breathing in bed. LOL! Get out of bed, drink a glass of water, breath, then get dressed and ready to go.  Set your mind to having a great day and smile at yourself in the mirror. Again, feels silly but works, I promise.

Make an appointment to have a massage, facial, or do it yourself. I gave my husband and myself a manicure last night and it felt good doing it.  I created an exfoliating scrub using brown sugar and avocado oil and it left our hands looking and feeling baby smooth. You can find all kinds of yummy natural recipes using ingredients you probably already have at home.  I most definitely feel the love more when I go to my trusted technicians to get pampered, my favorite is Brandie at Well Family Houston,  but definitely take care of it yourself if you haven't got the time or the money. Pick a night that you can disconnect from the daily grind and do a self massage with body lotion mixed with essential oils. Start on your scalp and do slow circular motions moving down toward your heart and chest, don't forget your face and ears. Aim to cover every square inch of your body.  Next, massage your hands, fingers, and arms again, working up, toward your heart. Follow with your chest and torso down to your hips. Lastly, massage your feet, between each toe, arch and heel, and work your way up the legs and thighs. Feelin' good?! You're welcome!

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think. How do you harness self-love? What makes you feel good? Any good book recommendations?  How about your favorite essential oil blend? Can't wait to hear all about it. Please, let me know when you try any or all of these tips and share how different it has made you feel!

Much love,

Meli G.