Continuing the 30 Days of Self Love Reflections

Time for some more 30 days of self love reflections created by Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun.  After this I am half-way through the 30 days.  I will be sad when they end.

Outward Beauty (Tina's original post may be found here, and as always, I recommend checking it out!)

Tina posed the thoughts and question, "We must not forget that outward appearance does not define our worth as a whole. However, me must also feel free to declare our beauty on the outside. We all desire it…and we all have it. What physical characteristic makes you beautiful?"

My hair.  My crazy curly hair makes me uniquely me.  When I was very young, my hair was so blonde that it was almost white.  My mom used to brush it (a no-no for curly hair), and I ended up with an afro.  My dad called me Q-tip, because I was always thin (I was born premature.) and had this crazy fluff of hair on my hair.  As a kid, I remember many women coming up to my mom and asking if my hair was natural.  Yes.  Followed with, "People pay a lot of money for hair like that."  Remember the perm phase?  Even in my undergraduate college days, the intoxicated guys would be mesmerized by "boing-ing" my hair... gently pulling on the curls and watching them bounce.  Sure there are days when I wish I had straight hair, but I definitely love my curly hair!

Quotes:

 Beauty in things lies in the mind which contemplates them. ~David Hume

You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her. ~Author Unknown  

Q-tip

 

 

 

Cruise with straight hair.  I don't look like me!

Cruise with curly hair... much better!

Finding Joy (Tina's original post is here, you should check it out!)

Tina asked, "What will bring you joy?  It's yours for the taking...so take."

Helping others brings me joy.  I may get frustrated with my job, but the challenge makes me happy and brings me joy.  Being with family and friends brings me joy.  Planning my wedding to the man I love brings me joy.  My beautiful niece, Joy, brings me joy.  Taking care of babies (kitties) brings me joy.  Running brings me joy.    To sum it up, being around people that I love and care about, doing what I love, and helping others brings me joy. 

Quotes:

“Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.”


 “Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own.”~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

“Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.”~ Melba Colgrove

“Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself” ~Mahatma Gandhi 

Speaking of Joy... Could my niece, Joy, be any cuter??

Perserverance (Tina's original post may be found here.)

Tina presented the questions, "What ways have you seen the benefits of perseverance in your life?  If you don’t want to get too personal, what are some small acts people can do to keep on keeping on?"

I'm going to opt for the second question, since I'm too tired to write much more.  My suggestion for keeping on is making a list of short term goals to keep you focused.  When times are tough, it is important to focus on taking care of yourself and leaning on family and friends... they want to be there for you.  This goes for personal problems as well as less serious issues.  Take running for example.  When I feel tired or burned out, I tell myself "just one more mile" (short term goal).  I give myself a rest day or two, maybe a massage, and make sure I am eating properly (taking care of myself).  Finally, I consult friends, including fellow bloggers, to get tips and motivation (leaning on friends).

Quotes:

"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't."  ~Henry Ward Beecher

"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did."  ~Newt Gingrich