Motivational Monday ~ Inner Beauty

Have you ever felt less than?

Not pretty enough, not skinny enough, too short, too tall...

 

I grew up with a large extended family.  I only have 2 brothers but my parents each had 5 siblings and big families!  It was such a fun childhood with all my cousins and family.  I was fortunate to grow up in a very loving environment.

 

But...

I never felt as pretty on the outside as my cousins.  My family would often tease me about my pudgy nose, my freckles and my curly hair.  They would point out the beautiful, perfectly-sculptured nose this cousin had, or the big beautiful blue eyes this other cousin had, etc...

 

 

I would complain to my mom and say things like, why can't I have beautiful blue eyes like my Lito (an endearing name we called my grandfather), or dimples like you or be skinnier, etc...

And she would look at me and say, "Focus on the inside."

  

True story.

 

I'm so grateful for those 4 words.

 

I shifted my focus at a very young age and I started to look on the "inside" to see what I could find.  I discovered so much about myself.  I was filled with talent and brains and kindness and determination and a big heart.  True story!  :)

 

I'm so grateful for those 4 words because they instilled self esteem.  It's a beautiful thing when you realize who you are, when you realize your worth.

 

Today I want to encourage you to look at yourself through a new pair of glasses.  Maybe you have in the past or are now feeling less than.  God created you and he makes no mistakes.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

 
 

Beautiful comes in all shapes, colors and sizes.

 

What I tell my kids...

 

I have two beautiful kids.  I'm their mom and I can say that!  :)

 

1.    I tell them to focus on their inner beauty.

My daughter is smart, talented, she's loyal, she's a leader, she's funny, she's a rule follower, etc...

My son is kind, he's smart, he's athletic, he's humble, he's witty, he's a wonderful friend, etc...  Those are just a few of the qualities that I love about them.  When I see things that exhibit those behaviors I point them out.  I say how proud of them I am for being such a good friend, for working hard at being a good athlete, for using the talents that God has given them.

 



2.     I tell them to look for inner beauty in others. 

When my daughter was in 2nd grade, after her first week of school I asked her how it was going and who she was hanging out with.  She said, "I'm just observing right now."

What she meant by that is that she was observing the kids in her class to see who she wanted to hang out with.  She knew picking her friends was a big commitment!  I LOVE her.  I was never that wise at such a young age.  What I did tell her was this; don't let someone's outward appearance be the reason you miss out on a person that is beautiful on the inside. 

 

So many times people are overlooked because of their outward appearance and WE are the ones missing out on what could be a beautiful friend.

 

My son on the other hand sees the good in everyone and I have to tell him to be careful when choosing his friends.  He loves people and I love that about him but it's important to be careful of whom you choose to surround yourself with.

 

 

 

3.     Lastly, I point out the strengths my kids have but we also talk about their weaknesses and how to work on them. 

Nobody is perfect.  We all have our shortcomings, our weaknesses don't need to define or drive us though.  I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I've had to work on my poker face.  The other day I was at the gym and the instructor said to me after she told us we had to do 35 power burpees, "Delilah did you roll your eyes at me?" OOPS!!  Did I do that out loud??  lol

Ok, so I'm still a work in progress! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't pretend to know everything, in fact, I still wish I was skinnier, taller, more beautiful...
I'm grateful that you give me the opportunity to share my heart with you every once in a while.  I hope this post has inspired you to stop playing the comparison game and focus on the BEAUTIFUL YOU God created you to be!

 

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

 

xoxo

Delilah