As Beautiful As You Can Be

By Carol Burbank, PhD, RMT

Carol Burbank, PhD

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As Beautiful As You Can Be

There's a lot of hype out there about who and what is beautiful in men and woman. If we pay attention to the external standards, set by the airbrushed images in magazines or charismatic movie star looks, very few of us would brag about ourselves. In fact, most of us, on a bad day, can feel pretty discouraged. That's because we've gotten stuck measuring ourselves against an impossible standard, instead of claiming our own best beauty.

What is beauty, really? It's energy, energy that shows and shines through our physical presentation. So when we take good care of the body we've got, then we get more beautiful. And when we're excited about our lives, and feel good in our bodies, then we're let's face it gorgeous.

Most of us have never really seen ourselves at our most beautiful, except in the eyes of people who love us our family, our kids, our partners, our colleagues, our pastor. So we never see how great we look when we're “lit up” with excitement, pride, passion and love. We never see how we glow after a good workout, or blossom when we've accomplished something, or sparkle after a really fabulous kiss. If we could see that, truly see it, we would know how gorgeous we really are.

How do we learn to recognize and feed the spark that makes us beautiful in a real-world definition? First and foremost, appreciate yourself for who you are and what you give in the world. Ask the people who love you the most to tell you what they love most about you and breathe it in, deeply.

Then, assess what's missing for you where do you want to be healthier? What goals do you want to achieve? What support do you need to achieve them? Do you need a physical trainer or a nutritionist to energize your physical health? Do you need to see a dentist or doctor to ask questions about aging or ease concerns you've kept quiet about? Will cosmetic changes (new clothes or hairstyle) make a difference?

Stress is the worst barrier to looking and feeling as beautiful as we really are. If everything you're doing already isn't solving your stress problem, get some help. Schedule regular massages or spa visits to remind you to relax and take care of yourself. Hire a coach short-term or long-term to jumpstart your personal goals and break through blocks that are keeping you from loving your life.

And don't give up. You deserve to shine, and know you're shining, with the beauty that lights you up and brings you a life full of joy. Forget the movie stars be your own star.