I have been recently inspired by Mindy Kaling's new book "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns)". Here's the link: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
It's a series of lists or funny stories or concerns she has for the world: Rights/Privileges of a Best Friend, Why Does it take SO long for men to put on shoes?, etc. I have since decided to make a list of my own that addresses a VERY important topic. It is very near and dear to my heart, and I would like to share it with you all: Women's negative self image. STOP IT!! LOVE YOURSELF GOSH DARN IT!!!
Granted, it took me a whole twenty years to love myself for exactly what I am, but hey, it takes loads of people a lot longer than that. So if I can make the process easier for anyone, I've done what I intended. Here's the List:
How to be Smokin' Hot
1) Bare Escentuals - skin care and makeup. I know it's expensive, but I PROMISE, it's worth every penny. I never felt good about my face until I used this stuff... It feels like you don't have anything on at all! I understand that some may find it poor judgement to include makeup in a list that's intended to promote self love, but who doesn't love themselves more when their skin care is doing what it's supposed to?! AND what woman REALLY goes out feeling good about herself without at least a little makeup? So you may as well pamper your face with the good stuff. If I have not yet gotten you hooked on this miracle product, here's the website - Bare Escentuals - check it out. You can thank me later.
2) Wash your face twice a day - Can you believe some people actually can go to sleep at night with makeup STILL ON THEIR FACE!? I can't. Bare Minerals brags that theirs is "makeup you can sleep in". Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Seriously. TAKE IT OFF. Your face will thank you when you're fifty and still have the skin of a thirty year old. And don't forget to wash it in the morning when you get up. You'd be surprised how much dirt and oil accumulate on your face overnight thanks to your lovely, womanly hormones and that janky pillowcase you always mean to wash. Wash your face when you brush your teeth - that's what I do. And Dont' Forget to Moisturize!!
3) Brush your darn teeth! - This seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people skip it. SICK. Twice a day, every day or I promise your dentist and the good Lord above will know and be mad at you for it. Don't be gross people. Brush your teeth and wear your GOSH DARN RETAINERS. Your momma paid good money for those teeth, don't screw them up again just because you don't feel like putting plastic in your mouth over night. Your smile says a lot about you. Do you really want it to say "Hey, I'm really gross!"?
4) Shower daily - YES, I understand that this also seems like a given. But I've lived in dorms, I know how often people don't shower.... it's appalling. And you're stinky. You know who you are. You may think your eau de Funk is a-ok once in awhile. You're WRONG. Use a happy little Bath and Body Works Shower Gel and your friends will thank you. Not to mention your beau that you're obviously too comfortable with if you're not bathing.
5) Keep your living space clean... Seriously - Ask my friend, Sam. She understands. The cleaner your living environment, the better you feel about the space and yourself.
a. Vacuuming once a week is NOT that hard.
b. Giving up your old clothes you never wear anymore may be traumatic, but someone else will love them more than you do, I promise.
c. Do laundry once a week - keep that hamper from overflowing onto the floor. Dirty clothes on the floor is not only nasty, but it prevents vacuuming (see a). d. Dust when it gets dusty. I understand that this chore is annoying, so do it when that fuzzy layer shows up on your nightstand. That's how you know it's time.
e. As soon as you finish a meal, do its dishes. I personally find doing dishes very relaxing... I am also aware that I am a member of an extreme minority here. But it saves the hassle of a ton of nasty, crusted-on, congealed-mysteriously, foody dishes at the end of the week. I have lived with people who did not believe in washing dishes. Grow up. Even if you live at home, your momma is NOT your maid. Do you own dang dishes. It makes quite a difference.
f. Learn to like living cleanly. It makes a-e seem much less threatening to you lazy bums out there who think this list is intimidating.
6) Have Honest Friends - I, honestly, have very few people in my life that I consider to be my friends, and that's A-OK with me, because they're top-notch. Most importantly, they're honest - something that I think everyone values in a friend, but perhaps not to my extreme. I treat them the way I want to be treated. For example, today Sam and I went shopping at TJ Maxx, and found some cute-on-the-hanger dresses. When we went to try them on, we weren't afraid to tell each other (gently) that these dresses were ONLY cute on the hanger. I also have no trouble telling my friends when I think they're being treated poorly by any person in their life, if that color really just doesn't suit them, or if they're babbling on for WAY too long about something I just don't care about. These friends are important, because then you can honestly believe them when they tell you how beautiful and spectacular you are, inside and out. If you have wishy-washy friends that say you look good in everything, even if you're wearing a bleached out jean jacket and leggings as pants, you could NEVER believe them when they tell you that you're gorgeous. Have Honest Friends - the kind you'd trust with your life... that's why I have so few.
 |
| Leggings = EVIL |
7) Know what looks good on you - this one is pretty self explanatory. Know your body type, hair type, eye color and skin tone so you can find the right clothes and makeup to suit you perfectly to make you feel as beautiful as you are. I understand that we don't jump out of bed in the morning feeling gorgeous (although you probably are), it takes some convincing of ourselves. That's why I put myself together every day. To remind myself how pretty I am.
-------------------> This does NOT mean ANY person for ANY reason should EVER wear leggings as pants. Remember, I am your friend, I am saying this because I love you: It is hideous on everyone, I don't care how skinny you think you are.
8) Learn something new every day - when you learn something new, you feel smarter, which automatically makes you feel sexier because who doesn't love intelligent people who actually know how to socialize?!
9) Learn Music - seriously. It's been voted the hottest thing on the planet. It's well worth your time, plus it'll change your life forever.
But most importantly,
10) Confidence - this includes a lot of factors. You MUST love yourself for who you are on the inside before you'll ever emit true confidence - which is always voted the most attractive trait a person can possess. The things you think you hate about yourself? Embrace them - they make you special, unique. Let them become your favorite things about yourself.
I'll get all personal here to get the message across: I used to hate how overly/extremely emotional I am. I overreact to the little things, wear my heart on my sleeve no matter how much it'd hurt me and tell everyone exactly how I feel... I even cry watching Harry Potter because it just makes me so happy... and every time I read it even though I know what's coming. I am moved by the small things - that's how I see it now. I appreciate every tiny aspect of emotion in the world. Something I used to hate so much about myself has become my favorite thing about me. I don't waste time thinking rationally, but I feel to my heart's fullest extent. It makes me the loving, caring, passionate person that I am, and I would not be anything close to the same person without that.
So seriously, stop hating yourself. Don't hate ANYTHING about yourself. You are who The Big Man Upstairs made you to be. If you don't like it, then you should - because other people genuinely love you for it, whatever it is. It is what makes you who you are, and loving and being who you are will turn you into the beautiful being you were created to be. Once you see it, everyone else will see it clearer. I know so many women who will deny their beauty to the ends of the earth because they just refuse to open their eyes to the mirror and open their hearts to their true selves - to see what I see. Like I said, I would not lie to you.
Girlfriends tell me they wish they had my confidence - I wish they did too, because that would mean that they give themselves the love they deserve. Everyone is capable of that kind of confidence. Once you love yourself, and put on your makeup, brush your teeth, shower and get dressed only for yourself, you've made it there.
I hope that this will help some of you to make it there.
Once you've accomplished all 10 of these items, you will, officially, be SMOKIN' HOT!
I also realized that this list would work well for men too.... some of them could use the hygiene and cleaning bits...
In case you didn't know, you should be your greatest love... not some man. You only have as much love to give as you have for yourself. Love yourself first, so you can give love to all those you wish to.
Please let me know if this has done anything for you at all. It'll tell me if this particular post has served its purpose.
Love you
No comments:
Post a Comment