Hello Beauties,
Today I want to talk about the meaning behind the words Self-Image. I think we don’t completely understand the significance it carries, because we don’t go deep enough. So let's dive in!
This is the meaning when you google it:
Self-im·age
/ˌselfˈimij/
noun
1. the idea one has of one's abilities, appearance, and personality
The first thing we usually relate to self-image is what we see when we look in the mirror - our body, our skin, hair and our beautiful face. We all have days when we feel sexy and beautiful and then we have the ones we are not very fond of who is looking at us from the glossy surface.
When it comes to first impressions and putting ourselves out there in the world for everyone to see, it absolutely matters what colors and clothing we wear, how we style our hair or do our makeup. Why don't I think this is shallow? Because you can not create a first impression twice, now read that again! The first time people meet with you on that job interview, the first time your future spouse spots you across the crowded room, the first time your clients get introduced to you, the first time you stand up in front of an audience you are so passionate to influence MATTERS! And there is a reason I said FIRST so many times. It is because people are a tough crowd, they won’t assume you simply had a bad day, they won’t give you the benefit of the doubt, they won’t grant you their trust if what they see does not match what they hear. And it will be very difficult, although not impossible, to reverse those opinions once they are created in someone's mind. With certain things you only get one try in life, so your appearance should be handled with as much priority as your message. Now let me point out, I am not saying we should all have 10% body fat, wear a ton of makeup and spend hours getting ready. But simply making sure to always put our best foot forward, so we are given the chance to show the rest of our amazing qualities and skills, especially in a large pool of applicants for the same opportunities.
Some days it’ll be easy and some days will be a challenge, but putting value and intention in everything you do, every time you do it will inevitably pay off.
What you look like on the outside does now define who you are on the inside, but it certainly is like a great opener and leaves everyone wanting to know more! It is so indicative of the respect you have for yourself and what you do, because it shows you have discipline, care for your health and good life, came prepared and took the time to practice what you preach. As a professional makeup artist and beauty expert, a big part of my presentation is my makeup. Even though I don’t usually wear a lot of it, when I meet with clients for consultation or makeup experience, I make it a point to look fresh and normally execute a clean natural look. There were multiple occurrences when at completion of the makeup application I offered a hand mirror to my client (yes, sometimes we work in conditions where makeup vanities are not available), and the response received was “Well look at your makeup, your eyeliner is perfect, so no, I don’t need a mirror!” This goes to show you the importance of our appearances when we don’t even realize it.
Why movement and diet matter? Well it shows you care for the vessel your beautiful brain resides in. Don’t think of it as if you have to always be perfect, or you have to lose weight etc. It is a proven fact that regular exercise and what you put in your body improve longevity, overall health and YOUR MOOD! Yes, you read that right, when you move your body produces serotonin and endorphins which are the hormones responsible for improvement of your mood. Or simply explained, you feel better about yourself and as a result you show up as the best version of yourself. Not to mention as additional perks the same hormones improve cognition (understanding) and concentration (ability to focus). Now does this still seem shallow?
What goes on in your brain? Now that we got the looks discussion out of the way, let's dive internally and check our thoughts and feelings!
So firstly how you feel about yourself IS connected to everything we just talked about, because it leaves a print that transfers onto your thoughts and cells. It is scientifically proven processed food and sugar can cause depression. Lack of movement can be the culprit of low energy, physical and mental weakness, as well as depression, early aging, and chronic diseases. I could go on forever, but I think another article will be born to address this subject extensively.
Your brain’s sole purpose is to protect you?! Yes, our brain is set up to keep the body safe. However it does not always recognize real threat, it is uncomfortable with new experiences and change which activates a defensive mechanism that we experience as fear. You can see where the paradox is coming from since change is inevitable and is actually one of the things that generates growth and teaches us flexibility. So every time your brain tells you “Don’t do it” or “You should be scared” we have to stop and reevaluate for a second. Obviously we are not discussing life threatening situations here. Let me give some examples to make it easy: stage fright, trying something new, speaking in public, rock climbing, fear of rejection or failure etc. It could be expressed in many different ways, but the explanation behind it is simple - it is a defense mechanism. Either because of past trauma or present/future unknown. And the only way to get over it is, you guessed it, do more of it! Not only that slowly builds a feeling of comfort, but it makes you really good at the thing you are afraid of. And as a bonus you become better at recognizing and overcoming it next time it shows on the horizon.
Become the master of your mind! Wandering negative thoughts are something we all experience especially when we are not paying attention. Those are the little voices in our head telling us mean things and trying to convince us to give up on basically all our dreams and everything we wish for. From my personal research they never go away, we just have to learn to detect them and show them who is their master! It is funny because recently I was on a live call with a fabulous business coach and when she talked about mindset, I quickly realized my little demons have been kinda wandering all over my clean beautiful garden contaminating it with not very nice thoughts, so I had to get to work real fast to replace them with thoughts like ”I am beautiful, I am achieving everything in life, I am talented, I have options, I am in the right place at the right time, All my dreams will come true, The universe will provide!” So my advice for you is be on the lookout for those and set reminders, or put stickers around you to remind you of that. These little munchkins can eat out and put big dents in your self-image that will show in everything you do in life. So stay strong and keep your mind clear!
Pondering about it all is what inspired me to create the Self-Image Coaching program. I was so excited I could help other humans on all fronts:
not only with their appearance like their makeup & hair, but also with their mindset and goals.
What is the thing that you struggle with the most when it comes to your self-image?
The comments are open for discussions and questions, until next time my dears!
And now…
Look in the Mirror, You Are Beautiful!
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