….& all that, I’m working on an exciting & under the wraps work project which at the onset was very exciting, it’s alway amazing to be involved in something you feel passionate about, I’m not about to run out of ideas or concepts anytime soon. It’s certainly taking me out of my comfort zone but then I’ve never been a girl that’s balked at a challenge so why start now?! There is no doubt some elements of this project are pushing my buttons as research & interviews have me picking up on the same mixed up messages about a topic that is close to every woman’s heart and sadly their purse too – Beauty!
It’s frightening to speak with pre-teens and teenage girls and get to grips where their mindset is with the concept of beauty, and the some of the boys are not far behind either! Keeping a straight face & asking balanced questions when you have these kids opening up is taking some amount of work. Speaking with those in their twenties and beyond is just as interesting & challenging! I really don’t have to go far on any one day to witness the immense pressure people are feeling to ‘have it all‘, how many people define beauty as only about how they look rather than how they feel.
Today in the Daily Mail I was reading about Penny Johnson described as a high-flying businesswoman, I thought Penny looked stunning in a photo in 2008, however after cosmetic surgery for dark circles under her eyes Sally life has fallen down around her, for me personally £6 million compensation would seem like cold comfort for such a loss & for what?! for the attainment of beauty when it already exists!
I enjoyed seeing this in Psychologies magazine this month and while I believe everything written here, what I really want to see is the plan behind the words! What actions are the magazine & all those that have signed up to this ‘actually’ going to do to make these concepts a reality.
There is no doubt words are very powerful but without strategic plans and dedicated actions it’s hardly worth the paper it is written on & while for some it might start the spark of change those that most need to hear these messages probably don’t even pick up this magazine each month!
After a conference call (ohhhhhh that sounded good & high-powered exec’y didn’t it! Don’t tell them, I was in my PJs scoffing a fry up now will you) this plonked in my inbox from one of my partners in crime on this project and I thought it was lovely & funny…….and really couldn’t resist sharing it with you!
Phenomenal Woman ~ Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Beauty is not spending lots of money on designer clothes, expensive hair dos, new ‘you must have or you’ll die’ shoes! It’s about something inside you that says ‘I’m happy just the way I am’ that inner confidence and ‘intangible’ thing that just works & shows beauty at it’s best
The most beautiful thing about that ‘something’ that ‘intangible’ thing is inside you, it can’t be bought or sold and can only be found by taking the time to find out what’s important to YOU! Yes you & you alone and the most wonderful thing about finding it is, when you do the world will notice, the world will sit up and go WOW what’s going on here! Define you for who you are & what you are about not what others think or what the media pushes on you! Be committed to finding that ‘something’ because W N Murray in The Scottish Himalayan Expedition is rather spot on with his observations
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans – that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
So get committed to defining YOU get off the Castles in the Air treadmill plonk those feet firmly on the ground & start to enjoy all that is good about you & that life has to offer!