Posts Tagged ‘self esteem’

How beautiful do you think you are?
I mean it - how beautiful, inside and out, are you? OR more importantly, do you treat yourself  and others ‘beautifully’?

For instance – are you kind, compassionate and patient (to yourself and to others) or are you more judgemental, cynical and intolerant?

Physically, do you loathe yourself and therefore trash yourself with too much of the wrong things and hardly a skerrick of exercise?
OR do you respect yourself and therefore care for yourself with regular exercise, good nutrition and indulge in moderation?

Do you offer yourself, your loved ones, friends and colleagues more positives than negatives?
Do you listen to the messages your body and mind offer you everyday? (be calm, drink water, say sorry, ask for help, go to bed, have a workout etc)

It’s simple stuff like this which makes you beautiful – not what you’re wearing or what body shape you are.

Treat yourself and others beautifully and you’ll receive more beauty in return than you’ve ever imagined. 

PS. Thanks so much for being a part of Urban Smiler, it makes me feel beautiful everyday! 

I love that song - Single Ladies by Beyonce.  ”if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it”
It’s all about committment and I’m all for committment, especially in relation to health.
Here’s a different spin on Beyonce’s hit for you which I hope will lead you to think about committing to your health.

“Putting a ring on it“ in this context means committing to self care.
If you like yourself then you’d better commit to yourself. (and seriously, if you don’t like yourself then you’d better email me and we’ll get that sorted)

Committing to yourself means caring for yourself.  

On a daily basis self care means ‘keeping your mind on the mantra – exercise, eat well and think good things.
It also means brushing your teeth, managing your stress, getting enough sleep and making time to ‘play’.

On a more long term basis it means going to the dentist twice a year, having a health check once a year and booking in for any ‘age appropriate’ health checks as you reach each milestone. 
It also means making time for holidays – with and without the kids.
It means you need to commit to addressing the issues that are limiting you in any way so that you continue to move forward in all aspects of your life.
It also means accepting that everyone has flaws and that tolerance and compassion are essential to maintaining relationships.

Committing to yourself means committing to smiling more inside and out so please, show yourself the love and put a ring on it!

To keep your mind smiling you need to keep exploring.
To keep your mind exploring you need to keep yourself physically well.
To keep yourself physically well you need a mind which highly values self care.
Self care = self esteem and and vice versa. This provides the self confidence required to ’explore’.  

Self Care for the Mind:
Read widely. Books (fiction & non), mags, journals, reports, comics, blogs. Read something everyday. 
Watch a variety of TV shows, docos, movies.
Talk to all sorts of wierd and wonderful people. Appreciate their differences.
Do a course, study something. Keep learning and providing your brain with new information to sort through. 
Take time out every week to reflect. Learn from your mistakes, be grateful for all you have and stay focused on what you’re working towards.
Take time out every week just to think. Explore your ideas and the ideas of others, it will enliven you.
Manage your worries by talking to your ’confidant’ – a stable friend/family member, counsellor, therapist. It’s often better to lean on an indepnadant mentor who is not involved in your life and therefore has no particular investment in any particular outcome.   
Be open to the diversity life offers and be mindful of the fact that it would be remarkably dull without it. 

Self care for the body. 
Make exercise a part of your day. It’s essential NOT optional.
Do a variety of exercises which keep your body strong and flexible as well as ones which keep your heart and lungs healthy.
Eat well everyday. Eat appropriately portioned nutritional foods MOST of the time.
Sleep. Don’t underestimate the importance of sleeping well, it restores and rejuvenates your entire being.
Hydrate. Drinks lots of water everyday. 
Touch. Enjoy a big warm hug or have a massage. Your mind will benefit immensely from it.

Explore and smile.
It’s a wonderful life we have here, you gotta love it warts and all!

Every day you have thousands and thousands of thoughts and every one of those thoughts has an affect on your feelings and behaviour at some level.  I feel confident in assuming that, like millions of other people, a lot of the thoughts floating around your head are ‘negative’. Negative thoughts are extremely unhelpful because they don’t make you feel good about yourself, they don’t inspire you to takes steps towards your goals and dreams and they don’t  foster respectful loving relationships in your life. They’re just plain trouble.

Point: Every unhelpful thought can be swapped with a helpful thought.

Positive thoughts, on the other hand are helpful. They are the thoughts which boost your self esteem, energy and drive. They’re the ones which keep you connected to and moving towards your visions for the future. And they’re the thoughts which help you manage your health and your relationships with compassion and respect. They make you smile more, inside and out!

Nutshell: Take the time, make the effort, do the work – swap your unhelpful thoughts for helpful ones and smile more.