The ultimate goal of everyone seems to be the achievement of happiness. And for most people, their appearance is an excellent source of joy – or sadness.
Today’s world forces us to focus on how we look. You hear comments on how beautiful a baby is and comments on which side of the family she inherits the attractive appearance.
I post lengthy, thought provoking writing such as this one, and most comment… “You look great.”
While compliments are always gladly accepted, it’s not the reason for my post.
Many judge people on looks rather than personality. Getting judged on our looks from birth often causes us to evaluate our entire existence on our appearance. However, we now know that nothing in our appearance can determine our worth.
But let’s be honest, not everyone gets the hang of this just yet. Even as we grow up, we think we should look a certain way. We may even fudge some things here and there to fit into what we think others expect of us.
This goes beyond just physical appearance and embodies gender as well
JUST BE YOURSELF
The problem is this: Dressing in images that aren’t ours will not make us happy. And it tends to negatively affect our self-confidence and self-esteem.
DRESS YOUR AGE
This hits me all the time. I’m not 20 or 30 any longer. I’ve crossed the 60 something mark and what I’ve realized is this…
DRESS WHAT YOU’RE ABLE TO WEAR
Not necessarily what you FEEL like you can wear. Sometimes we have to make a judgement call and realistically say to ourselves, “Nope. As much as I’d love to wear this, it’s just not working for my look, body type, situation etc.”
What can we do, then, to feel happy in our skin? Try these:
THE SOCIAL MEDIA TRAP
1. Form good social media habits. You may be surprised to hear that social media sets you up for failure. But every time you hide flaws by editing your selfie or remind yourself how you used to be by posting a photo of yourself when you were younger, you’re undermining your self-esteem.
● When we’re constantly comparing our lives to others, we feel as if we lack something. This process is likely to keep us feeling stressed.
● If you wish to boost your confidence, avoid wasting time scrolling through your news feed and start having conversations with real people.
INNER AND OUTER BEAUTY BALANCE
2. Discover the right balance between outer and inner beauty. There’s nothing wrong with trying to look as beautiful as you can. But as much as you pay attention to your appearance, it’s essential to pay equal attention to your inner beauty.
● Learn to forgive yourself and permit yourself to be imperfect. You’re a beautiful human being, and you deserve to love yourself for who you are.
● Finding what makes you happy and doing more of that brings you lasting happiness. Becoming happier requires commitment, but it’s worth it to provide yourself with the love and acceptance you deserve.
UMMMMMMMMM MEDITATE
3. Take care of your stress levels. While some stress is natural, chronic stress can harm your health.
● For example, stress can make your skin look older than it might be.
● It also causes you to crave more sugar, which disrupts your gut health, leading your body to feel sluggish.
● Another effect of chronic stress is an inability to enjoy being on good terms with yourself, others, and the world around you.
● The sooner we realize that our mental and physical health are intertwined, the sooner we can start living more fulfilling lives.
BE YOUR BEST
4. Choose to become the best version of yourself each day. It’s no easy task, but start by focusing on all aspects of yourself, not just your physical appearance, and work on getting level ten success in every part of your life.
BLISSFUL WORK
5. Find work that you love. Feeling happy in your skin doesn’t involve only taking care of your physical appearance. It also includes finding a job that you love.
● If you have a gift to help others, help them. If you have a passion for creating an impact, make an impact. If you have a big vision, go after it.
● There is no need to compromise when pursuing your passion or helping others. In fact, it’s your duty and responsibility to do so. A job you love will make you happier in your skin by allowing you to focus on your passion and purpose.
IN CONCLUSION
It’s important to remember that happiness doesn’t lie in your physical appearance. If you take the time to figure out what makes you happy in your life and how to increase your level of happiness, you’ll be well on your way to finding joy in your skin.
Be Strong 💪
Gwen Patrone
#TransPreneur
Get a daily dose of Gwen…www.GwenPatrone.com
5 Responses
KANDI,
THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS… THEY ARE FULL OF WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND BALANCE.
MARIE ANNE
Thanks MY Dear. I greatly appreciate you.
Thanks Marie, but Gwen wrote the post and deserves all the credit! She is amazing.
Gwen,
Well said, great advice ! It’s all good, but I really like your #4 and #5.
Thanks
Gwen, great words of wisdom. You state that another effect of chronic stress is an inability to enjoy being on good terms with yourself, others, and the world around you. For me, NOT being on good terms with someone, particularly my wife, is a significant CAUSE of excessive stress. It can be a vicious circle sometimes.