As I pondered my next step with ShoeAxis, I wasn't sure if my blog meant anything; if it was just random, if it was just like everyone else's blog, or if it was so different that no one could relate. I honestly didn't know what was out there until I started blogging, and if I had, I probably wouldn't have started because there are some awesome ones out there! I stumbled upon a post the other day on Sacramento Street from May 14, 2012, where Caitlin shared her, "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You". She found this movement through Creature Comforts blog, originating from a blog post by Jess Constable. It basically talks about the reality versus online lives of bloggers, and confessions about how the two don't always match up. This was perfect for me because as I said, I was feeling insecure about the whole blogging thing, because creatively, I was wondering if I really have a point of view or anything special to share.
The "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You" post got me thinking of all the reasons why I was scared to start this blog, or any other thing in my life, because I was too afraid of what people might think. Second, I thought of how I struggle with feeling pushy and putting myself out there with the blog, even having my picture taken for the blog! My mind starts playing the tape of, "I am not good enough, smart enough, stylish enough, witty enough, beautiful enough", or "People will think I'm too old, too short, too fat, even too skinny." My intention was to start a blog about not only shoes and fashion, but about the shoes bringing us to people and places in our everyday life...something deeper and more meaningful, not superficial or just a pretty face. I wanted it to not only be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside too; to have character and purpose (such expectations & aspirations we have for our babies!).
I recently heard of the updated 2011 Dove Study, "The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited", stating that only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful, and anxiety about looks begins at an early age. As shocked as I was to hear that, I myself have had those same self-esteem issues when I was younger and still have at times. The topic of beauty and self-image was also highlighted on the May 11, 2012 post by Erin of Elements of Style blog, and finally the topic of beauty and society was featured on Anderson Cooper's May 7, 2012 show, where he explores "beauty bias", through a hidden camera, where good-looking people are sometimes treated better than everyone else.
The thing about beauty or anything good, is that it can be a double-edged sword. Too often we are criticized for bringing ourselves up or bringing attention to ourselves because we are told to be humble; don't be conceited or a show-off. But this is not what this is about. This is about embracing ourselves and who we are, and being proud of who we are and what we have accomplished. It is about feeling comfortable in our own skin, seeing what is beautiful in our lives, and being thankful for what we have been blessed with. So instead of giving you a list of "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You", because I pretty much just summarized it, I am going to give you a list of "How I Feel Beautiful", because instead of apologizing for who we are, we need to celebrate who we are!
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| I feel beautiful when someone sees my heart and good intentions. |
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| I feel beautiful when I can just be myself and enjoy where I'm at. |
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| I feel beautiful when I am at peace and know that God is with me and my loved ones. |
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| I feel beautiful when I can be creative and express my point of view in a unique way. |
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| I feel beautiful when I realize that I can overcome past demons and insecurities about myself, like my shyness and speaking in front of people or my big lips and large nostrils! |
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| I feel beautiful when I run and know that my legs are strong and able to take me anywhere. |
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| I feel beautiful when I walk into a patient room, and they thank me for my help and support in helping them improve their health. This is how I feel beautiful! |
Anyone can look beautiful in nice clothes and staged pictures, but are you living your life and present in what makes you and your life beautiful? When you start looking around and start comparing yourself to others, it's easy to loose sight of who you are and what's important. It's okay to be inspired by others and get support and encouragement, but we need to be ourselves and see how we are beautiful without worrying about what other people think or what we are suppose to be.
And now, I need to go and follow my own advice, because even though it looks online like this was easy for me, believe me, in reality it wasn't. How do you feel beautiful? I challenge you to think about this and write it down and if you want, share it with others or with me...I'd be happy to hear from you!
Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!
See you later!
Cheryl
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