A moment in time
A moment in time. (beauty)
In a world that is constantly evolving with communication and our access to fast fixes, a divide is appearing.
Where once the pursuit of beauty and youth was the golden ticket, suddenly, we crave slow living, deep meaning and experienced guides to give us shelter and space to formulate our own ideas.
Media today shows the trend and the debate of going ‘natural’ as we age from showing wrinkles, to grey hair to no makeup. Such a stark change in how we should look, is bound to cause confusion.
The other factor is that after the introduction of injectables some 20 years ago and then the meteoric rise to ‘have to have’ and 3 clinics on every block of a shopping precinct, the results of how it would look in years to come is in. And it’s not pretty.
So where does that leave a woman past 40 that still wants to maintain beauty and presence. Who still wants to shine? Where do we guide a 30 year old to?
The answers inherently lie within. What we put in shows from the outside. Our nutrition, our thoughts and practices, and our peace of mind. The time invested in moving and honouring the body with exercise that engages us and people that we spend time with the inspire our minds and build us up.
This doesn’t mean slaving away at a treadmill or listening to endless podcasts on how to be successful.
It leads to making mindful choices about who has access to our time and energy, and it means finding a way to move your body outside its comfort zone while still enjoying the ride. Good nutrition isn’t about who has the best tasting platter but more about the integrity of the food, the amount we eat before we put our forks down and the integrity of where that food came from.
Touch and kindness from others we care about is gold. So is accepting self care in the way of bodywork, time to bathe and love our bodies, meditation and reflection with journalling.
So the way forward is not just about changing from fast to slow, but more taking each moment in time and evaluating where this time will lead us to. What will the outcome be of each small decision, so that the choices we make are long lasting and meet with our soul.
I think there is a way to still maintain youth, and it is in our playfulness to life. There is nothing wrong with retaining a thread to our youth through the beauty fixes our great grandmas used for confidence and creating an identity. The right shade of hair and a perfect red for the lips is our right to celebrate being a woman, but becoming comfortable with the experience lived and how it shows in our body and face is equally important.
Wear your hard work to achieve a successful life like a badge of honour. Well done on making it though life alive, rearing or sharing children, supporting an older generation, leading and mentoring others, running businesses, creating a home. Put on that lipstick, and your best dancing shoes and dance like no one is watching. And choose the carrots over the cheese.