Feeling Beautiful :)

I recently stumbled upon a life motivation/philosophy blog called The Freedom Experiment and I instantly fell in love with many of the concepts that the author writes about. She had one blog entry titled 10 Tips on How to Feel Beautiful Every Day, and I just thought I would write my own list of tips that I have discovered myself.

1. Do what you love and do it always.
Life is too short to spend time on doing things you do not enjoy. I spent the entirety of my childhood striving for goals that were not even mine- they belonged to my parents and their competitiveness. I have met many people who believe that it is better to go with what they ought to do, rather than what they'd like to do. You see it in career choices all the time. There are people who choose to do subjects that would give them a good future rather than ones that they are interested in. But when I started doing what I really enjoyed, I began to realise that I wasn't working at all... I was being paid to do what I love. I have never been so happy in my life since.

2. Smile.
One time when I was overseas on holiday, I was bullied by my extended family. One night, I just had to separate myself from the others, so I stayed behind in the lounge with the TV on while the others ate dinner elsewhere. A talent show was playing during that time and one of the contestants sang "Smile". The first verse of the lyrics really got to me:
Smile, though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it’s breaking

When there are clouds in the skyyou’ll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining throughfor you
And that night I cried really hard. Afterwards, I learnt to bear through the last few days of my holiday even though my heart was breaking. I remember the lyrics to that song every now and then, whenever I encounter any rough spots in life. 

3. Buy yourself treats and presents all the time.
I never hesitate to buy myself nice things. It's important to realise your value and to know that your value is worth more than anything you buy yourself. My Mum always saved the scented candles and nice things that people gave us as gifts. I never save any of my gifts. I use them straightaway. Those things will depreciate in value the longer you keep them unused, but your value will never depreciate. If anything, your value needs some pampering from time to time!

4. Forgive everyone, everything.
This is something I struggle with a lot. It is almost second nature for me to keep a grudge. I keep a grudge for so many reasons- my pride, my insecurity, and my inability to talk things out. Sometimes I think I am not always the best person to be around because of the grudges that I keep. But in the end, I have to let go and forgive. It is so much healthier to forgive and in the end it makes you so much happier. 

5. Try to smell nice.
For me, smelling nice is a lot of fun and makes me feel very pampered. I have a favourite shop that I go to for all my shower gels and body products. They sell fresh, handmade body products that I love. For me, smelling nice and allowing myself to use nice shower gels is the highest form of pampering and self-love that I could give myself.

6. Dress yourself in clothes that you enjoy wearing.
This is a major confidence determiner for inconfident people. I had a period where I didn't feel like dressing up and wore my old, 'ugly' clothes. But then, one day, I decided to dress up in some nicer clothes. The difference that made in my confidence levels was amazing. I suddenly felt a lot prettier. I smiled a lot that day.

7. Fill your mind with good quotes and sayings that make you feel better and more cleansed on the inside.
I have a favourite Tumblr blog that fills my dashboard with plenty of inspiration and nice quotes. They all tell me to be happy and to look for the good in everything. They carry messages such as "you are beautiful" and "you are precious". One day, I started thinking what I was reading. I was reading something unrelated and then I suddenly felt myself think "you are beautiful". Bit by bit, these quotes pull out the weeds of negativity in your mind.

8. Be open.
It is always best to be open about how you are feeling about something, when it is necessary. It is good to let people know if you are not OK with something, because that is the only way things can change. If there is a little bit of self-respect you could afford yourself, you will achieve it by being open and telling others what you think. 

9. Be happy.
John Lennon once said that he wanted to be 'happy' when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. Happiness is the key to life. Being happy is a constant in life. Sometimes you are sad but it never lasts. But your happiness lasts. In the end, it is not what we did wrong that matters, it is what we did right. So always cherish your happy memories. Set your happiness in stone, and your sadness in sand.

10. Be loved.
Take every opportunity you can to accept the love that other people give you. Smile at the things they say to you and laugh when they joke with you. Hug them back when they hold their arms out. In our daily interactions we come across so many people who love us so much. Always accept the love that you get. One day you will realise the value of that love and just how much you deserve it.

In Buddhsim, they say that it is a greater show of strength to be soft than to be hard. One of the teachings for Buddhists is to be as flexible and soft as water, rather than to be hard as a rock. Water can flow past rocks and obstacles, but water can also be fierce and imposing in the form of waves and tsunamis. There goes a quote that says, "Do not let life make you hard... instead let your lessons teach you to be a better and kinder person."