Something Wonderful

“By being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” Edwin Elliot

I’m not pretty enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not good enough. No one likes me. I’m not popular. My clothes aren’t cute enough. I hate my hair. I hate my freckles. I wish I were blonde. I wish I were taller. I wish I were slimmer. I’m ugly. I’m fat. I’m a loser.

If you’re a woman,or a young women, chances are you’ve had thoughts like these. These thoughts are demeaning and drain us of our self-worth. Somehow, we have been programmed to believe that our worth is somehow attached to the way we look. TV, movies, and magazines give us a distorted view of beauty and reality. Trying to live up to the distorted pictures we see is not fulfilling. No wonder we sometimes feel empty.

A beautiful woman is one who accepts and appreciates herself as she is. A beautiful woman loves and appreciates her body, flaws and all. A beautiful woman radiates confidence and smiles often. She believes in herself and doesn’t compare herself to the images on the screen. A beautiful woman takes care of herself. She is comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t try to live up to anyone’s expectation. She is content to be herself.

What if we could change the way we think? What if we could change the way we see ourselves. Instead of the trash talk at the beginning of this post, we could say: I am beautiful. I am clever and smart. I am good. I am amazing. I am enough. Everyone likes me. People love me. People are so nice to me. I love my clothes. I adore my hair. Freckles are fun. I like being myself. I am beautiful just the way I am. I am a winner.

Silence the negative chatter in your head. You’re in charge. Take control of your thoughts. For every negative thought that pops into your head, give yourself three compliments. You give complements to others. How about treating yourself kindly, for a change. Do something nice for yourself. Think beautiful thoughts.

You’re beautiful. Yes, you. It’s true, but it won’t mean a thing until you believe it. Go look at yourself in a mirror and tell yourself so. Look in those gorgeous eyes and say “Hi Beautiful. You look fantastic.” It’s okay to love yourself. I promise you it will make all the difference. Start today.

You don’t need to be like anyone else. It’s okay to be different. Different is awesome. There is nobody else on the planet that is exactly like you. You are amazing. Appreciate your unique gifts. Appreciate your unique beauty. Be yourself. That’s something only you can do.

It's true, you know... By being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.

Linda Garner