Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Tips

SparklyTips: Self-Image

We are all different, we are all capable of whatever we choose to put our minds to!  Do not let anyone’s perceptions of themselves project onto you.

A hand with thumb nail painted teal holding teal nail polish with a polka dot top on a gray and orhanfe rug with three rings on the ground.
Holding Sparkly Teal Nail Polish and Rings. Original Image

 

  • Don’t let anyone’s judgements get to you or make you feel uncomfortable about yourself.  You know who you are and what you value.
  • Acknowledge that you may have things to work on in regards to self-value and worth so let those things be motivational points of reference.
  • Appreciate the things that stand you out.  Those things specify who you are.
  • Embrace how different you are.  The way you walk, communicate, and express yourself can only be done by you!
Posted in Quotes, What Just Happened: Personal Anecdotes

The Path to Appreciating What you See and Feel [10/31/15]

So, I’m not skinny; I have big hips and a gut. I don’t have straight teeth. My complexion is anything but flawless. I have a little acne and my hair is crazy curly and sometimes frizzy. Yet it’s okay. It’s taken me my whole life just to be okay with my self-image. Self-image is in my hands and in the hands of no one else. For a long time I thought all the things I listed above were major flaws, major things that made me unattractive. They are not! If you put all of those things together, then you get me!

I remember being six years old and hating the depth of my voice. I hated listening to myself speak in fear that people would wonder why my voice is so deep. I would ask my mother “ma, why do I sound like a man?” I laugh at this now because it’s one of the things I love about myself. My voice and its depth is why I’m able to sing low alto notes and create the tone I want when performing my spoken word pieces. My voice is how people understand who I am. My voice is how people identify me. I love my voice!

As long as you can appreciate and value every aspect of your character then nothing can penetrate your self-love. Everything that people might judge, question, or criticize about you is everything that you need to love about yourself.

You are beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful.

Quote stating
Quote by Dr. Joyce Brothers Postie Self-Image is the best Preparation. Taken from Verybestquotes.com.
Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration

It’s All About Self-Perception

Image of two women with blue dresses, brown hair and brown skin. One side the woman is slouchy, sad, and fat, and the other side the woman is skinny, happy, and smiling. Tect state "Mirrors are liars" "Sometime I see this" (the pretty , happy girl) "other times I see this" (the other sad girl) "And I don't know which is the real me"
Mirrors are liars image. Taken from http://9gag.com/gag/am8gmed/mirrors-are-liars-horrible-horrible-liars

It’s interesting how we create our own self-image.  Our eyes, with all of our self-expectations, self -values, biases, and judgments are projected through mirrors.  How we see ourselves vary tremendously based on how we feel  in a given time and place.  Mirrors are not liars.  I would have to disagree with the image above.  We have to be consistent with our self-image in order to see the self we want to see.  We may want to be the image on the left, but we feel like the image on the right, neither image has to be who we are, however.  If we can find a basis of self-acceptance then it doesn’t matter where we are, how we feel when we come across a mirror, or who we find ourselves with.

If we love who we are, if we create our own self-image based on our own appreciation for ourselves then no mirror can sway our self-perception.

Posted in Challenges, Self-Talk

Challenge: What did I just say? Yes! No One Does it like Me!

The phrase Challenge accepted with the internet troll
Challenge Accepted meme

I challenge you to say five positive things about yourself this week. 

The more positive things you say to yourself, the more you believe and accept that what you say is true.  Walk with pride in your own walk and purpose.

Suggestion??!!! Why are you awesome?

Think about:

  • What you find yourself doing well all the time?
  • What do you like to do?  [Most likely that what makes you awesome!]
  • What is a feature, physically, that you think makes you beautiful, pretty, or unique?
  • Did you achieve something this week?  What did you do?!
  • Fun Facts????
  • What are some of your talents?  You doing your talent is distinctly unique because no one does it like you!
Posted in Self-Talk, What Just Happened: Personal Anecdotes

What Just Happened?: Inside that Small Room [10/21/15]

I sat in a small room, where a person sat in front of me and asked me questions about my life. Assuming they cared, I talked. I blurted out everything I remembered from my childhood. This room, these closed walls, were the barriers that separated me from the rest of the world. The walls were an odd off white color, I slouched on a light blue couch. I signed papers, the squiggly lines that say “Yes, I allow and I understand.” I signed my name a million times giving them permission to use my story to help other people. I sat and I thought, sat and thought until the words I wanted to use came up from my brain and out of my mouth. I twiddled my fingers, took my mood ring on and off. My mood ring was 3 colors at once. Blue. Yellow. Red. Never really understood how easy it was talking to a stranger. Someone I didn’t know, just blurting out my story to them. Did they care? When an hour or so passed, we stopped. Stopped in a way where there were no exchange of words, no comfort, no anything, no “it will be okay.”

I didn’t feel relief after I left the small room. They said I will feel better, right? After sitting in this small room with a ear that listened but didn’t say much, I didn’t know how to feel at first. I sought help for the anxious feelings I’ve been having. That’s it. I feel like the world is on my shoulders, you know, because its senior year and I don’t know where my life is heading or going.

The small room. Its kind of like how it is in my head almost. Where I think I will get comforted, but instead I’m constantly thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

What I did understand in that small room, however, was everything has a source and a reason. When I say everything, I mean, the way you think about the world, how you handle situations, the ways you think and why you think about them has sources and communicating with others help bring those things out into reality. Communicating, although it may seem pointless depending on who your communicating with, allows you to reach and navigate through the sources within yourself. Don’t be afraid to communicate with someone. I didn’t want to talk. I thought I was fine in my own head, but then that lead me to misunderstandings about my actions and feelings. Why is my self-esteem low? Why do I talk negative to myself sometimes? I learned that we, as people, as conscious people, have to let things out. We have to understand why.

Tip: Go and communicate. It’s okay.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration

You Really Should Take Your Own Advice and I Really Should Take my Own Too

Isn’t it bizarre that it’s easier to tell someone something and want them to take that advice, but when it comes to ourselves, we can’t seem to apply it to our own lives?  This seemed to be my motive for creating this blog.  I want women to love themselves, cherish, and appreciate who they are because I also want these things for myself.  No matter how society thinks we should be, or who our guardians think we should be,  what religion says we should be, the only thing that matters is who we believe we should be.  Creating wholeness in our self is important and we all should strive for it!

I remember someone asking me once “what is something you like about yourself?”  All I could think of is ways I treat other people.  I said “ummm well I’m empathetic towards others I guess, and I’m a loyal friend.”  What is wrong with what I said?  I didn’t say things that relate to me and only to me.  I’m in that process I’ve realized.  The process in which I internalize the positive things I like about myself and say it to other people, you know, like the part of your resume where you write good attributes about yourself.  What makes you good at being you?  Would you hire yourself if you interviewed your current self?  I’m learning to say things like, “I love myself,” I think I’m smart, and talented, and beautiful.”

I want you to journey with me in my self-appreciation process.  If you find yourself thinking negatively about yourself in any way, or you even find someone else saying negative things about you, just remember you are who you are and even you can’t prohibit how great of a person you are now and who you will become.

Note to self: I am a Woman and I am Beautiful

A quote stating "I am beautiful. I am smart. I am strong. I am talented. I am powerful. I am Enough" in plain black text in caps
Empowering Quote. Fitness Blog http://nutra-elite.com/cultivate-your-inner-beauty-ultimate-body-confidence/i-am-beautiful-i-am-smart-i-am-strong-i-am-talented-i-am-powerful-i-am-enough-78765439/. Google Images.