Thursday, February 9, 2012

As I Began to Love Myself – a Self Love Poem for You

I came across this poem (attributed to Charlie Chaplin), and thought it was worth sharing especially since Valentine's day is next week.  Hope it resonates with you in some way.

photo credit

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering
are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth
Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.
As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody
As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time
was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this
person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.
As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call it “MATURITY”.
As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens
at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm.
Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.
As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time,
and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.
Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do
and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in
my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.
As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for
my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew
me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude
a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.
As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since
I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.
As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry
about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING
is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.
As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me
and it can make me sick. But as I connected it to my heart, my
mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this
connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.
We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems
with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing
new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!


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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Simple Valentine's Gift Idea for Your Self



I know Valentine's day is a few weeks away and I think it's a perfect time to spend some time pampering yourself. If you don't normally have the time or the funds to treat yourself to a massage then V day is a perfect time to do so, what better way to let your body know how much you value it by giving it some TLC.


Massage Envy is perfect for this, it's convenient and relatively affordable, especially if you're a first-timer to their services. Actually, a couple of weeks ago, two of my girlfriends and I went for massages to kick off the New Year rejuvenated.
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Maxwell Daily Reader by John C. Maxwell


I picked up this book last November; prior to purchasing it I had never read a book from John C. Maxwell but this has been the perfect introduction to his writing.


It's essentially a compilation of Maxwell's written work in a daily format filled with inspiration and convential wisdom. Though I must admit it is a bit more centered towards management in an orgnaizational type setting as this is Maxwell's trademark.


However, I have found it insightful and helpful to me as I view life in terms of the organization and myself as the leader trying to steer it in the right direction.


Here are a few pearls of wisdom, I have found so far in my daily readings:


You cannot grow unless you are willing to change. And you will not change unless you change something you do every day.


People who achieve their potential do so because they invest in themselves every day. They take the time to add value to themselves.


Characteristics of a good leader: consistent, courteous, and clear.


The way people see others is a reflection of themselves. If you change yourself and become the kind of person you desire to be, you will begin to view others in a whole new light.


Focus on the journey, not the destination.


Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.


No one becomes rich, unless he enriches another.

When we refrain from giving, with a scarcity mentality, the little we have will become less. When we give generously, with an abundance mentality, what we give away will multiply.


Embrace your failures as blessings in disguise.


Seek first to understand, then to be understood.


Our attitudes determine what we see and how we handle our feelings. These two factors greatly determine our success.


To establish credibility you must make sure that what you say, what you do, and what you say you do are consistent with each other.


Though January is almost over, I would recommend this book while you journey into 2012. I'm sure you will find inspiration in each passage.
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Friday, January 20, 2012

Girl Crush Sanaa Lathan for Panten Pro-V




It's refreshing to see my girl crush, Sanaa Lathan as the new face and spokesmodel for the Pantene ProV Nature Fusion collection.  

Check out Sanaa's beauty regimen in a recent Stylist.com interview:

On maintaining her thick hair:
I always deep condition. It's really important to keep my hair moisturized, not put too much heat on it and keep the ends trimmed. Also, I like to rotate my hairstyles. I'll do straight and then when I'm in-between, I'll wear my natural texture.

On hair extensions:
I'll wear pieces and weaves in movies, but I'm loving my own hair especially because I've been taking good care of it and can go without [extensions]. I like wearing it in a cool chignon or really wild.


On her sexy red pout:
It's MAC Ruby Woo. I love the matte finish and it looks different on so many skin tones. Part of the fun in being an actress is that I can have so many personas. I think every woman should be that way. Yet, when it comes to my makeup, there's been two go-tos: the dark eye with nude lips or a red lipstick.

On her flawless complexion:
For my skin, I like using organic because it goes straight into your bloodstream. It's like putting something into your mouth.

On staying in shape:
I have one of those mini trampolines that you can get from WalMart. I jump on that for about 30 minutes while watching soap operas.

image via Stylist.

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