We currently live in a beauty, fitness and health-obsessed culture where our outside appearance and the amount of organic vegetables we consume seem to reflect our goodness but how about our emotional and spiritual health? Do we often neglect the MOST IMPORTANT part of Being by placing it last on the list? How about purging ourselves from the negative thoughts, repressed emotions and lack of enthusiasm in our busy lives as wives and moms? How about working on forgiveness, healing and inner peace?
When I look around the women around me, I notice that by the time a woman turns 40, her soul begins to show on her face. During our youth, 20’s and 30’s, it’s easier to hide our inner pain and just play the role of the nice person. And most of the time this works, as many people are trained to perceive their surroundings at face value.
But recently I’ve observed that the older a woman gets, the harder this becomes. Next time you come across that mean-spirited co-worker, friend (or ex-friend), or family member, carefully observe their face- from their eyes to facial expressions. You’re likely to have that a-ha moment where your inner voice tells you, I knew it!
This is of course, not to promote judgement or criticism but rather to encourage ourselves to be a beautiful person inside and out…to NOT become that unhappy, lonely and bitter lady who is always complaining about how old she is (we all know one, don’t we?). If you don’t have time and energy to focus on both inner and outer beauty (Oh, I know how tough those first few years can be), place your inner beauty as a priority because eventually, it will begin to show through and radiate your surrounding.
We’ve heard the expression that our eyes are a window to our soul. Well, from the 30’s, our entire presence becomes the window to our soul.
So I went through many changes in the past 4 months, some good and some bad, but I’ve reached another peak of my life where happiness, love and gratitude pours from my heart into my daily life. My life is far from perfect- my husband still leaves his socks in the loft, my older daughter still screams on top of her lungs like a maniac and my younger daughter is going through her TERRIBLE-SEVEN’S where everyday activities like using a fork to eat her food is challenged with endless questions.
Yet, my life seems more perfect than perfect because my LOVE TANK (five-languages-of-love-jargon) has been filled by God, my Father and best friend. I feel so loved and cherished. We women, thrive on love.
I’m not here to promote any particular religion- I believe in one God, not one religion- but He taught me, once again, that He repays us tenfold for our sincere hearts and prayers.
So if you’re not feeling entirely happy today, spend some time in quiet meditation and prayer! Make a commitment to strengthen your spiritual well-being first and foremost. If you’re feeling bad about your imperfect skin, imperfect body, imperfect husband, imperfect kids, and imperfect life, know that many women before you and around you are battling from the same illness.
It’s the chronic illness of being unable to love yourself in spite of your imperfections (which is a natural facet of human life, why do we keep forgetting this?) and this constant hunger for non-humanness will break you down slowly…from the inside.
If you don’t know where to start, begin by closing your eyes, letting go of control and asking, “God, What is your plan for me today?”
The most powerful form of prayer is that of listening. Try to listen, not ask. You’ll be amazed at the power of silent listening prayer.