First of All ...

Natural Beauty

Allow me to explain what I mean by "natural beauty."

Natural beauty has nothing to do with how you look, and everything to do with how you feel.

When you feel good, you are beauty full, and you exude natural beauty.

Natural beauty is the glow from within that attracts people to those who possess it. Conventional beauty lies on the surface and is determined by DNA and cultural ideals. It is enhanced by your clothes, make-up, hairstyle, and whatever other factors you choose. Natural beauty reflects the heart, the brain, and the mind; not the face, the hair and the body.

Natural beauty lies within our consciousness and is attainable by anyone who has the mindset of allowing Well-Being. It is far more powerful and alluring to achieve beauty at this level.

Natural beauty is about radiating beauty. Natural beauty is inner confidence - wholeheartedness, an understanding of your worthiness, a willingness to embrace vulnerability and uncertainty. And this is possible for anyone, once you have an understanding of who you really are.

"The infinite library of the universe is in your own mind." ~Swami Vivikenanda

Who am I?

Some people ask themselves this question often, while others have never even considered it. Many people would probably come up with an answer like "a mother," "a lawyer," "Sarah," and so forth. But I'm not asking, "what label are you?" Labels are created by our ego, a pea-sized portion of our left-brain that dictates who we are as an individual. I ask you to consider who you really are. To look beyond the labels assigned by your ego, and find the truth:

I am.

I am consciousness. I am energy. I am vibration.

What do I mean by consciousness, energy and vibration? I mean that you are a part of the unified field of consciousness that has literally created the universe. You are as much a part of this field of consciousness as a wave is a part of an ocean. You are everything, because the greater part of you is non-physical, fluid energy. All matter is energy at its core, which means that you, too, are more energy than matter. And the beautiful thing is that the study of quantum physics has proven this to be true.

"In the 1920's, the physicist Werner Heisenburg (and other founders of the science of quantum mechanics) made a discovery so strange that the world has yet to completely come to terms with it. When observing sub-atomic phenomena, it is impossible to completely separate the observer (that is, the scientist making the experiment) from what is being observed. In our day-to-day world, it is easy to miss this fact. We see the universe as a place full of separate objects (tables and chairs, people and planets) that occasionally interact with each other, but that nonetheless remain essentially separate. On the subatomic level, however, this universe of separate objects turns out to be a complete illusion. In the realm of the super-super small, every object in the physical universe is intimately connected with every other object. In fact, there are really no 'objects' in the world at all, only vibrations of energy, and relationships." (Eben Alexander - Proof of Heaven)

Consider this: each of our 50 trillion cells are made of molecules. Molecules are made of atoms. Atoms are made of sub-atomic particles. And sub-atomic particles are not made of energy, they are energy. The idea that "we are energy" is not just another belief. A common phrase used by Abraham is also a scientifically proven fact:

"We are vibrational beings in a vibrational universe."

We have 50 trillion cells in our bodies, each a packet of energy vibrating on a sub-atomic level.

We are energy.

This all-encompassing energy is purely positive. It is Well-Being. There is no negativity. Negativity is a reflection of our resistance to the Well-Being that is always there. When you are feeling anger, frustration, fear, any negative emotion, it is an indication that you have ceased to allow the Well-Being that is always flowing. Release the resistance, and you will feel good again.

This Well-Being, or pure positive energy, is who we really are. It is our consciousness, the non-physical part of ourselves. You can call it Well-Being, Source Energy, the soul, God. It is always there and we are all a part of it we are it.

We are Well-Being, Source Energy, the soul, God.

In Dying To Be Me, while describing her near-death experience, Anita Moorjani writes, "And then I was overwhelmed by the realization that God isn't a being [God, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus], but a state of being ... and I was now that state of being."

When you make the connection that this energy that created the stars and the planets and all life on earth is who you really are, you can begin to create anything in your life - including natural beauty.

The Law of Attraction

"The moment I realize God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him or her, in that moment everything that binds me vanishes and I am free." ~Swami Vivikenanda

As the old saying goes, with God, everything is possible. Not some things, everything. Understand that there is no distinction between your true self and Source Energy. Recognize that you have infinite creativity. You are the powerful creator of your own reality.

Everything that constitutes your physical reality begins in your mind, whether you are aware of it or not. We're creating deliberately or we're creating in-deliberately, but we're always creating. The basic premise of the law of attraction is that "like attracts like." Once you are able to make the connection between what you think about and how you feel, dramatic shifts in your life will unfold.

Many people have a misconstrued notion of the law of attraction, if they've heard of it at all, believing "think positively and get lots of stuff." Really, the law of attraction is just the answer to the question of how our thoughts create our reality.

In Transcendental Meditation, Jack Forem explains, "Thoughts are not just mental abstractions ... They have a physical side; the thinking brain (and the dreaming brain, too) emits faint pulses of electrical energy that can be detected and measured."

Our thoughts are energy. Our thoughts are vibration.

We react to our thoughts with emotions, and those emotions are indicators of what kind of thoughts we are thinking. In turn, our emotions are indicators of the vibrations we are emitting into the universe. We're either thinking good feeling thoughts (which vibrate at a high frequency), and attracting situations that continue to make us feel good, or bad feeling thoughts (which vibrate at a low frequency), and attracting situations that continue to make us feel bad. The sooner you move in the direction of thoughts that feel good the better, as that will be your point of attraction.

When we feel good, or experience emotions such as joy, happiness, hope, appreciation and love, we are vibrating at a high frequency. Because the law of attraction dictates that like attracts like, when you vibrate at a high frequency, the universe has no choice but to bring you more high frequency situations, more things that will make you feel good, and be a match to the vibration you are emitting. Good feelings radiate positive vibrations, and attract positivity, happiness, and beauty into your life. This is why Abraham likes to say, "the better it gets, the better it gets!"

On the other hand, bad feeling thoughts lead to negative emotions such as anger, frustration, fear, and worry. When you are in this state of mind, you are attracting more of these bad feeling situations. If you've ever started your day (or month, or year) on "the wrong side of the bed," and your whole day (or month, or year) continues to "go wrong," you've experienced the law of attraction at work.

Until you shift your thoughts, and, in turn, your feelings, and, in reality, your vibration, you will continue to attract similar bad feeling situations.

Keep in mind - the law of attraction will always present you with evidence to support whatever it is that you're thinking. That's the funny thing. If you think that the law of attraction isn't real, the law of attraction will show you evidence that it is not real. Confusing? Maybe. But true. People don't question the law of gravity because it is tangible. Without it, we'd be floating around in space. The law of attraction isn't as tangible, but it is just as active. From a scientific standpoint, it is indisputable:

We are vibrational beings in a vibrational universe, and like attracts like.

In order to use the law of attraction to your benefit, instead of "thinking positively," think thoughts that feel good, because it's the feeling that indicates the vibration that will bring more of the same feeling or vibration.

Once you make the connection between what you are thinking, how you are feeling, and the experiences you are living, you can begin to create your life deliberately, exactly as you want it to be.

STEP ONE

Think Thoughts That Feel Good

"Nothing is more important than that you feel good."

~Abraham

When you make the choice to believe that nothing is more important than feeling good, you are choosing to be a deliberate creator of a happy, effortless existence. How do you make that happen? The simple answer is: think thoughts that feel good.

Consider, from a scientific standpoint, how your thoughts affect your physical body. When you think a thought, your body reacts with a physiological response. Depending on the thought you are thinking, your heart rate may increase, tears may come to your eyes, you may blush, and so on - the physical reactions we experience as a result of our thoughts are endless. We call such reactions our emotions.

Again, emotions are indicators of our point of attraction. In order to use the law of attraction to your benefit, it is necessary to shift your vibration by thinking better feeling thoughts. "Thinking positively" can be difficult when you're angry. Instead, the goal is to be consistently moving up what Abraham would call the "vibrational scale of emotions." Any thought that brings you relief from where you are right now is the answer, as the feeling of relief will begin to shift the momentum from feeling lousy to feeling better.

The "Vibrational Scale of Emotions," as described by Abraham in their book Ask And It Is Given:

1. Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Freedom/Love/Ap preciation

2. Passion

3. Enthusiasm

4. Positive Expectation/Belief

5. Optimism

6. Hopefulness

7. Contentment

8. Boredom

9. Pessimism

10. Frustration/Irritation/Impatience

11. Overwhelment

12. Disappointment

13. Doubt

14. Worry

15. Blame

16. Discouragement

17. Anger

18. Revenge

19. Hatred/Rage

20. Jealousy

21. Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness

22. Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness

"I love anger. Angry people are just more empowered sad people." ~Panache Desai, Discovering Your Soul Signature

My Mom Is Not Afraid of Her Arms

Over the course of my career, I have worked with countless women who have issues with their bodies. Truly, too many to count. Beautiful women who are unhappy with the way that they look. Nine times out of ten, these women think they are overweight. And/or they think something on their bodies is unattractive. For instance, I've determined that if you are a woman, over 45, and living in the USA, you hate your upper arms. To me, and most of the world, your arms look beautiful. They are feminine. They are arms. There's nothing wrong with them.

I don't think that I've been able to convince a single woman that their arms look just fine, and that she should go ahead and wear that sleeveless top. (Superficial example perhaps, but you get the picture.) It's difficult to change someone's perception of themselves or their body. That change has to come from within. It is possible to feel good about yourself. To feel good in general. To feel beautiful.

I believe that we all want to feel beautiful. To some extent, everyone cares about how they look. There is nothing wrong with that. We live in these bodies 24/7 - it would be difficult not to care about our appearance. Fortunately, it's not about changing our appearance to reflect society's constrictive standard of beauty. Instead, we can change the way we feel about ourselves. When we change our perspective regarding our bodies and our beauty to reflect feeling good, we begin to transform our lives. This isn't about being superficial. This is about learning how to love and appreciate ourselves.

If you asked me whether I have my own issues with my body, the answer would be, sometimes, hands down, yes. However, I have learned that when I focus on what I do like about my body, I feel good. And when I'm in a state of acceptance of - and appreciation for - my body, I feel good, and healthy habits come naturally.

We get to choose how we feel about everything, including how we look. It has nothing to do about how we look to others, or about wanting others to think we're beautiful. It's our own perception that matters.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the beholder is YOU.

So I tell myself that I want to feel good about myself, about my body, and everything, really. Be willing to see yourself from a place of love and acceptance. Like my mom, who has old-lady arms but still wears sleeveless tops. See your beauty. Feel beauty full.

Perception Is Everything

I once saw a television show that I found truly inspiring Carson Kressley's "How To Look Good Naked." At the beginning of every show, Carson yelled, "We need a perception revolution!" "Thank you!" I yelled back to the screen. If we perceive ourselves from a negative light, the universe can only offer us a reflection of that perception. Change your perception to encompass your beauty, and you will be beautiful. It may be difficult to believe, but as Abraham teaches, "a belief is just a thought you keep thinking."

Body image: the image we have of our own bodies is our perception, and our perception of ourselves is what really matters. Because more often than not, how we feel about our bodies has nothing to do with reality. It's about how we think we look. Most of us are perfectly healthy, no matter our size or weight. But we still so often think of ourselves as "fat" or "overweight" or "not right" for some reason or another. And why? Because we're comparing ourselves to America's Next Top Schmodel? Pretty much.

We all know how much we're bombarded with unrealistic expectations of beauty. But who is really setting the expectation? It's not the beauty industry. It's YOU. We constantly compare ourselves to others, yet we are here to live a unique experience in our own unique bodies, which are all sorts of different shapes and sizes. With the comparisons come the negative thoughts regarding our bodies, followed by the warped perception of our physical selves.

We see flaws where others don't. We are our harshest critics. What if we made the choice to be kinder to ourselves? To start loving and appreciating our bodies, whatever state they are in? Even if you are obese? Or very thin? Especially if you are. Because no matter where you are physically, once you begin, or decide, to unconditionally love yourself and in turn, your body, your body will reflect that self-love ... your perception will shift and you will begin to recognize your beauty. We are all beautiful. And if you continue to dwell on thoughts of love and appreciation and health - whatever that means to you - the universe will assist you with a match to that vibration.

"Nothing responds faster to your thoughts than your physical body." ~Abraham

Believe You Me

The universe, using the law of attraction, will always provide evidence to support our beliefs. But what are beliefs anyway? According to Abraham's teachings, our beliefs are just thoughts we keep thinking. And our beliefs, therefore, constitute the make-up of our reality.

Everything around us reflects our beliefs, because we are creating them, with our thoughts, as we go. And because the law of attraction is responding, we see evidence as proof of our beliefs. We may have been taught our beliefs by our parents, teachers, religious leaders, or friends, or we may have come to them on our own. But the cool thing is, we can change our beliefs if we wish to, simply by changing the thoughts we tell ourselves.

Which of your beliefs bring you comfort? Which do not? You can make a positive change in your life by focusing on those that bring you comfort, and letting go of those that do not.

What do you believe about your body, your appearance, yourself? Do you believe you are beautiful? Strong? Healthy? If not, it's time to change your thoughts. Dwelling on a reality that does not bring you joy will only reinforce your present state. Change your thoughts regarding your body, your looks, yourself, to reflect what it is that you want.

We are often so focused on what we don't like about ourselves, and then we wonder why it never changes or improves, no matter what we do (diet, work out, yada, yada). It's the belief regarding the thing we don't like about ourselves that causes us to be "stuck." Change your thoughts and your reality will change as well, effortlessly and permanently. When you change the way you feel about the way that you look, you will find that there is no reason to change the way you look, because you are beautiful and perfect as is.