Day 81/366 days Towards Self-Mastery. Mood: frustrated
Aaagh! More reflections about beauty, this time emerging from your confidence and self-esteem.
Ladies, you really don't have to focus everything about yourself on how beautiful it makes you look. Okay, so Sarah's book is 20 years old. Could that account for this emphasis on beauty and appearance? Maybe. However I don't think so, but I'll let it rest.
As a therapist I can't make a generalisation about what ensures a person has good self-esteem nor confidence. What I can say is that we are all unique, and with that unique view of the world we all interpret things differently.
My self-esteem and confidence who both in pretty good shape when I left our family home. Others of my siblings, less so. Same parents, same parenting, different people.
Sarah suggests that confidence is the key to looking more beautiful.
Tell yourself that you can be anything you want to do, because you can.
This is truly one sentiment that I never bought into. It's a popular new age idiom that I think needs to be considered carefully.
When I was raising my son I often considered this idea and chose not to bring it into my parenting. My concern was that I didn't want to set him up to fail. I didn't want him to have this expectation that he couldn't meet. Instead I elected to encourage him in any interests as they emerged, for as long as they held his interest. That seems to have paid off, as he confidently tries new things when he's ready.
Confidence and self-esteem are intimately tied to your inner stories and beliefs about yourself. If you struggle with those, that is where your work is.
Forget about how they show up on your face. Work on your inner beauty and know that your life will change, for you. Not anyone who is judging your attractiveness. For you, of your enjoyment in life, for your experience and satisfaction.
If you need some help with this, I would love nothing more than to support you to find your confidence and self-esteem.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
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