Creating Beauty

Last week I wrote about Beauty and how I so badly want girls and women to believe that they are beautiful just they way they were created. I think it is possible to grasp that about ourselves in any state that we are in, but this week I wanted to expand on ways you can practically be creating beauty in and around you. 

Something I felt I could relate this to was the topic of depression. There was a brief time in my life where I battled with this. And while I believed ultimately it was God that could bring me out of it and fill me with joy, I remember trying to be as proactive as I could to make myself better as quickly as possible. That included things like making sure I got enough sleep every night, eating the right foods, surrounding myself with people who would lift me up, and allowing myself to do all the little things that made me smile. And that made a difference for me.

With beauty and self-image it can be similar. In the end, those feelings have to come from within, but there are things you can do on a daily basis to get you to that point faster and help you realistically create beauty in your life. Here are a few things I've found that are true for me, and that I've learned from observing others:

• Make the most of your appearance. Wear outfits you feel good in. Take the few extra minutes to do your hair and makeup in the morning. Paint your nails :) Even on days I'm sick, the "fake it till you make it" mentality works for me and it's amazing how putting in the extra effort to look put together suddenly makes me feel better inside.
• Take care of your body. Exercise. For me that means taking a (power) walk every day. I'm not a big gym person, but even just 30 minutes of exercise and time outside makes such a difference for me. Eat healthy. When I eat fresh and healthy foods I feel energized and awesome instead of sleepy and weighed down when I make lots of unhealthy choices. Drinking a lot of water and getting enough sleep is huge too!
• Surround yourself with beauty. When my room is clean and pretty and smells good, I feel happy and confident and at ease. A messy, yucky room makes me feel anxious and like I don't want anyone to come over and see it. Buy some flowers for your house or room (the flowers above are from Trader Joe's and were so affordable!), light good smelling candles (Target has great smelling, soy candles for only $10), and take a few minutes every day to pick up around your room, and you'll start feeling better in no time. That goes for your car too, clean cars make for happy people :)
• Talk nice to yourself. Mentally compliment yourself and work on focusing on the things you do like about your appearance. Don't entertain thoughts of negativity or dissatisfaction. 
• Do things for others. The people I see who are serving others always seem to be some of the most beautiful and joyful people I know. When you're focusing on how you can be helping others, suddenly how you think of yourself both doesn't matter and magically improves all at once.

What do you guys do to create beauty in your life? I would love to know. 

Hope you are having a wonderful week, happy almost weekend time!

From my heart, 

Sara B