Beauty from within (36 ways to be beautiful)

The standards of female beauty have become progressively more unrealistic and unattainable. We need full-time hairdressers, make-up artists, physical trainers, and dietitians just to attempt to keep up.

The truth is that most of us aren’t “beautiful” by the current media standards of beauty. And even models and actresses are outed as less than perfect when they are caught in their natural state by lurking tabloid photographers. Maintaining that standard of perfection must be exhausting and humiliating.

Even though we know this standard of beauty is unrealistic and unattainable, most of us spend far to much time, emotional energy, and money attempting to keep up. It doesn’t matter whether you are young with enviable skin and a tight butt or beginning to see gray hairs and wrinkles, you probably focus far more on your perceived flaws than you do on any aspect of your true beauty.

Although physical attractiveness can help you get a foot in the door, it has very little to do with sustaining relationships and even less with developing real self-confidence. We’ve all seen beautiful people who open their mouths and become instantly less attractive, or unattractive people who become more and more appealing because they exude something special.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wave a magic wand and eliminate all of the insecurities and self-loathing that is wrapped up in the struggle for beauty? What if you could just walk away from it all and just live your life focused on what makes you joyful and confident?

With practice, this can be done! For those of us in the 99% who will never make it on the pages of a magazine, we can feel absolutely beautiful by shifting our actions and attitude.

Here are 36 ways to start feeling absolutely beautiful right now:

1. Smile. It lights up your face. It triggers happiness in your brain. It makes others feel happy.

2. Remember your posture. Stand up straight. Hold your head high. Throw those shoulders back. You look confident, energetic, amazing!

3. Focus on the best not the worst. Stop staring at the wrinkle or the bulge. Quit comparing yourself to Patty Perfect. Let your “worst” features recede and focus on your best instead. You have far more beautiful features than you see!

4. Be amazed at the wonder of your body. No matter your size, shape, or age, your body is a miraculous temple. Observe how wondrously it operates to house the beautiful person you are.

5. Appreciate your flaws. You are part of the Great Community of Flawed Persons. Welcome to the club. So embrace your flaws as a reminder of your connection to humanity. Flawed is the new perfect.

6. Be expressive. When you are animated and expressive, the fullness of your personality shines through. What could be more beautiful?

7. Get excited. Allow yourself to be enthusiastic and excited about life. Don’t let your concerns about appearance hold you back from embracing the beauty of living. It will reflect back on you!

8. Break a sweat. Get some exercise. Put on that lovely spandex and move your beautiful body. Get an endorphin high. Let your hair get sweaty and greasy. Through the sweat you are shining like star!

9. Practice beautiful movement. Try ballet, tai chi, yoga or some other movement that is fluid and allows your body to respond in beautiful new ways.

10. Acknowledge your inner beauty. Get pen and paper and write down all of the beauty that you do, that you give, that you create, and that you are. You are a powerhouse of beauty.

11. Show kindness. A kind person is exquisite in their beauty. It shines from them like a beacon of hope and peace.

12. Don’t try too hard. Don’t overdo it with make-up or clothes. Don’t spend thousands getting surgery. Don’t exercise yourself to death. When you try too hard, you look desperate. It’s hard to feel beautiful when you feel desperate.

13. Don’t act your age. Your age doesn’t define you or your capacity for beauty. In fact, age ripens you and provides a lushness to your bad, beautiful self! Live the age you feel.

14. Create something. Creativity is the handmaiden of beauty. Creativity is beauty expressing itself through you. Paint, write, garden, scult, cook, sew, decorate — be creative and you will feel beauty spilling out of every pore.

15. Inspire others. As the poet Rumi writes, “Let the beauty we love be what we do.” Do beautiful things. Live beauty. Be beauty. You will inspire others through your beauty.

16. Stop your thoughts. It’s hard to feel beautiful when your brain is whirring away like a ticker tape with negative thoughts about your appearance or age. When you are trapped in those thoughts, stop yourself and redirect your thinking.

17. See yourself through the eyes of a loved one. View yourself the way those dearest to you see you. Offer yourself the love they offer you. Feel the beauty they feel around you.

18. Connect with the beauty of nature. You are part of the natural world in all of its infinite glory and seasonal changes. As you experience nature, become aware of your connection to the beauty around you.

19. Listen to beautiful music. Certain music speaks to your soul. It touches and enlivens the most spiritual and beautiful parts of ourselves. Listen to Brandenburg Concertos #5 by Bach to feel your beauty come alive.

20. Make love. No explanation needed.

21. Wear clothes well. If you aren’t a natural at dressing to suit your body type, age, and coloring, find someone to help you find clothing highlight the beauty inside of you.

22. Hug often. Share loving physical touch with friends and family. It’s a beautiful thing!

23. Get enough sleep. You know what lack of sleep does to your appearance, not to mention your mental health. A good night’s sleep is a mini facelift!

24. Dance. Dance alone. Dance with a partner. Dance like no one is watching. Dancing makes you feel like a beautiful child, carefree and happy.

25. Update your make-up. Make sure your make-up doesn’t look dated, too heavy, or just wrong. Sometimes we get stuck in make-up ruts. An new look can highlight your most beautiful features.

26. Have a beautiful mind. Don’t corrupt your mind with ugly thoughts about yourself or others. Don’t dwell on unpleasant things. Don’t watch violence or negative programs or movies. Fill your thoughts with loveliness.

27. Stop smoking. It ages your skin, it smells bad, it’s bad for you, and it doesn’t reflect self-love. Dropping this bad habit will instantly make you feel more beautiful.

28. Be outgoing, even if it’s hard. Initiate conversations. Show interest in people. Make introductions. Smile. Bridging the gap between stranger and friend feels beautiful.

29. Do physical work. If you have a desk job, sometimes you miss the beauty of a task completed with the physical evidence of your accomplishment. Do something physical like washing the car, raking leaves, gardening, etc. to see the fruits of your labor. Moving, working, accomplishing — that feels beautiful!

30. Take care of your teeth. Since you are now smiling often, you want your teeth to look their pearly best. White, clean teeth make you look ten years younger. Plus, it’s hard to smile if you are embarrassed about your teeth.

31. Create beauty around you. Let your surroundings reflect the beauty inside of you. Remove clutter. Clean windows. Add flowers. Let your home be filled with your beauty.

32. Cook a beautiful meal. Well-prepared, healthy, and delicious food prepared by loving hands is beauty for the mouth and the soul.

33. Reduce stress. Anxiety, a furrowed brow, a tense frown, hunched shoulders are all the physical manifestations of stress. Find the cause of your stress and do something to relieve it. Shine the light of your beauty on the situation. It might dissolve.

34. Exude self-confidence. Show the world that you know you are beautiful where it counts. Your self-confidence rises in direct proportion to your self-acceptance. Love the unique and beautiful person you are and share that with the world.

35. Dress up. Life has gotten increasingly casual. Dress up on occasion. In fact, be the best dressed person in the room. Wear red! Turn a few heads.

36. Express gratitude. Be grateful for everything you are and everything you have. The handful of complaints you have about your appearance is nothing compared to the cornucopia of blessings that surround you. Bathe in the beauty of your blessings, and it will transform you from the inside out.

Thank you!

A letter to my unborn child

August 11, 2014:

 Hi baby Enzo, tomorrow's the big day

That you and i will meet face to face

And All the hardships and challenges of carrying you in my womb,

Will all be gone as if they didnt existed in me.

Because you alone can give me comfort

Your beautiful little eyes, looking at me, i cant wait.

Little fingers, little toes dancing in the rhythm of my voice.

How i waited for this final moment,

That i come to finally touch you.

I hope you know how precious you are

How me and daddy ejay waited for so many months just to see you.

And now that the time is here.

I cant wait, daddy cant wait kuya and lolas cant wait,

You dont know how much we love you and how much we prayed for your safety inside my womb.

I hope that you grew to be a fine gentleman

Just like daddy. :)

We will do our best to raise you well

And with Gods grace you will accept him as your mentor and saviour.

To lead you to what Gods wants for you.

We are always here to support you.

Unconditionally.. 

Love, Mommy

My Goals and Bucket List

You might think the title seems a little cliche. but i thought to myself, I just turned 31 last week and I'm officially a young adult. Whew! (Which means in Philippine mortality rate, I only have 27 years to live on this planet added 7 years because I totally avoided smoking for more than a year and quit drinking but only a little  red wine on some occasions which is beneficial to our health.) So a few bucket list wont hurt me. Though I already did set some goals before I turned 30, I am sharing them anyway. this can actually help me set my goals straight and enjoy life a little bit more.

So as they say, since i am posting this in public, It means that i am held accountable for my words and more likely to accomplish them. Hopefully!

So, here we go.

 Bucket list:

1. Own a big parrot  as a pet.

2. Visit the beautiful beaches of  Bali Indonesia, Maldives, and Gold coast, Australia.

3.. Grow an edible backyard garden.

4. Stay in Marina bay sands and swim in their infinity pool.

5. Visit at least 5 Asian countries aside from Singapore. (2 to go)

6. Get to visit Paris, Barcelona, Milan as a tourist. 

7. Bring my family to Boracay.

8. Camping with my family overnight and stargaze on the nightsky!

9. Run a successful blogsite.

10. Get into a 3-day cruise ship.

11. Join a marathon.

12. Pledge to do something nice to less fortunate children every Christmas time or once a year.

Life Goals:

1. Buy my own car from my own money.

2. Build my DREAM HOUSE.

3. Get to see my two sons to get marry and have a family of their own.

4. Live and work in Australia with family.

5. Get my own profitable business in Philippines.

6. Grow old together with mi Amor.

7. Live and eat healthy.

And FINALLY.

My Spiritual bucket list:

1. To be a living testimony of God's Love and promise.

2. To join a ministry to serve.

3. To get my whole family to become a believer of Christ.

4. To keep a journal of my prayers for myself.

5. To maintain a deep relationship with God.

These are just a few. I might add some more along the way. and I strongly feel that God will help me accomplish them by his graciousness! The most important thing is how you live your life and share it to others. because as what God said in his scriptures. This earthly place we live in is only temporary and we should invest more on our life after death. The Eternal life with GOD.

2 Corinthians 5:1

5 "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands"

Much love,

Sandi

A Woman's Journey through LIFE

Unplanned.

She looks amazingly into her newborn's eyes while caressing his tiny little body, "I am a mom now", with fears in her eyes the 21 year old gal murmured. She couldn't contain her emotions. All of a sudden, so many things popped up in her mind, worries and excitement as to how can she possibly raise him. so many fears. "how about his education? His milk? How can i do it?".  It's a never ending question. But then, in a split second she composed herself and said "There's no turning back now."

Her parents forced her to get married at young age of 21. When she got pregnant by her that time boyfriend of two years. and boy, it wasn't easy coming out in the open and just change you life dramatically just because she got pregnant. Her parent stopped paying for her school, asked her to work and get married right away. Which of course wasn't her parents fault for ruining her life, She didn't blame them. She thought she was the one responsible and it all happened because of one mistake. But looking at her newborn baby, she thought to herself, "how could this possibly be a mistake? this gorgeous little man in my arms is not a mistake." He is her source of strength and from there she will learn to stand on her own feet. She worked hard. paid for her own food and get her own apartment with the help of her husband. It was fine for sometime.

But then, two years later, her marriage didn't work out. Maybe they are too young to establish a family. maybe they both have not fully understood how is it to be together and make it work as a family.  She cant figure it out.  But sadly, She failed her marriage at a young age of 23.  And being a single mom, holding her son's hand she felt the fear again on raising him on her own. She was motionless, devastated as to what is the next step. She needed guidance.

Her life was hard after her separation, she prayed to God as if why things like that needed to happen to her, but it seems like there's no answer. Job was too evasive for her. Her estranged former husband just couldn't care less to her or just to their child which is now 3 years old. Without any financial support, She became a single parent to his son. "Its a bit more challenging now" she thought. with a sense of motivation, she added "there's no one to depend on but only myself and my own earnings for me and my son." She did everything to support her child and now that her parents has broken up as well just like what happened to her, She (mom) depended on her as well. Getting just the basic needs is hard for a single parent and a breadwinner. It was the dark and hard times of her life for survival. and she was too far for asking God's intervention.

She was broke.

Call center job has been her life saver, She joined so many BPO company one after another. looking for greener pastures. She managed to stay in this job for three years. and her earnings was sufficient enough to support her family. Sufficient is the key word. Its only for basic necessities. Until one night, her greatest fear suddenly came. her mom suffered a stroke. she cant move her body, she rushed her to the hospital and stayed there for two weeks. Paid a merely 300 dollar bill for her recovery in a public hospital. This time, She was crying and prayed very hardly to God for help. She doesn't have any money. But gladly, her friends who supported her helped her to pay for it. She helped her mom coped up with the sad incident in her life. Juggling things with working during the night, looking after her then 6 yrs old kid and taking care of her mom at home. Sometimes she was lucky to have relatives who helped her look after her mom when she needed  rest. She was restless. But they managed to stay alive. and they survived. and they continue to struggle and live.  Then another incident hit her.  Her Son got hospitalized after a year for an unknown sickness, he cant move his legs and cannot stand. always crying for a painful head trauma. She have only 100 dollars in her wallet to spend for the month, so there's nothing left for hospitalization bills payment. but a "good" friend donated her some money to pay for his son's hospitalization. which turns out that money he donated will be used as a blackmail to get her to sleep with him. What a life.

Then years later.

One sunny day, strange thing happened when she came to know GOD accidentally when a friend invited her to a Christian church, She felt a strong feeling of relief when one women came to her and addressed her fears and that God was waiting for her to come. She cried heavily while that woman prayed for her. Strongly, its like a very big burden has been released inside her body!God was with her! She literally fell on her knees and asked for God's acceptance and forgiveness. God has waited long enough for her and now is the time!

Peace.

Everything was all clear to her now.  It's all making sense. that God gave her trials and tribulations to purposely strengthen her but HE didn't leave her alone. God was there in her life even though she didn't personally know him yet. HE was there on every single time of her life and she didn't knew until now. That those times when she needed help, its not a coincidence that she manage to get a good job or get help from people. it was HIM who helped her. She guessed that maybe she was too stubborn to accept god's help that time she refuses to declare it.  But NO,  HE didn't leave her.

Months later, she risked going abroad and finally met the man of her dreams who supported her and loved her dearly. At the age of 30, they are now planning to get married.  She devoted her time to God and lived accordingly to his words. Her faith became stronger each time. and She felt the inner peace she have been looking for. Her son now goes to a Christian school and honing him to be a better man someday, maybe preparing him for his own battles in Gods time. Her Mom is continuously gaining her health back and in good shape. She know its not the end of the road, but surely she knows that she is in good hands as she accepts God as his companion, savior, redeemer and best friend she will ever have. There's NOTHING to FEAR.

 what a JOY it is to see how God works in our life! So what's your story?