Glow
“You’re glowing!”
I don’t know about you, but there is something about pregnancy that has people encouraging you and the word glowing, or radiant, is dropped as a consistent comment that perfectly depicts the wonder of pregnancy.
And yet we all know it, when the compliment comes up, as well intentioned and as genuine as it may have been, there is that voice inside our head (maybe it even came out a time or two) that nullifies the well intentioned praise.
“It’s just sweat,” we say. Or, “that’s probably just the morning sickness.” Let’s call a full stop on that.
And I’m not talking abut dismissing the compliments we receive only while we are pregnant. I’m not letting those ladies who are past that stage of life off the hook.
I am talking to all of us. Stop it.
Don’t dismiss the compliments that come your way, and don’t wait for them to build your confidence or confirm your worth.
Glow.
Be confident in the beauty within you, the personality gifted to you, the awesomeness that absolutely radiates from you when the stars aline and you’re just feeling it.
That confidence you feel when you’ve just stopped caring, when you pump up the 90’s jams, grab a broom and you do the iconic dance, sweep, and sing through your house and you get that feeling, even just for a moment, that you are un-freaking-stoppable.
Glow!
Now, the word sparkle is all the rage these days. “Don’t dull your sparkle.” But sparkle isn’t quite jiving with me.
To me, sparkle is external, it’s the finishing touch that brings about beauty. It’s not the deep down je ne sais quoi (the “I don’t know what” but that phrase sounds a whole lot cooler in French), that radiates from the centre.
That GLOW.
You see, sparkle requires light from another source to proclaim it’s beauty, for it to stand out. Glowing comes from within, unstoppable, not relying on anyone or anything else to magnify the beauty of what already exists.
That internal confidence, the beauty, the thing about you that oozes from your innermost and draws people to you.
That glow that comes from walking in the path set before you, confidently (or hesitantly), but knowing that you are the woman for the job, that you are here today doing absolutely everything you can to get the job done and that you will continue to do what is necessary, day after day.
That glow that comes from years of insecurities that you’ve finally called what they are, lies!
When you’ve released the chains of perfection, when you’ve let go of the expectations of others, when you’ve embraced the crows feet or the laugh lines, and you’ve decided that you don’t want to be a woman who sparkles, one who derives her worth from the things outside her, but you want to be a woman who glows.
Beautiful from within.
Confident and graceful.
Radiant.
And, girl, I’m not saying that you ditch all the make-up, that you never buy a fancy dress again, and that you quit adorning yourself with sparkly jewelry, naw man! That stuff is still fun!
But that you choose the make-up that highlights the beauty from within instead of masks what you feel self conscious about. That you buy the dress that makes you feel confident even if it’s not in style for this month because it speaks to your personality and quirkiness. That you choose jewelry that YOU love, not just what comes in with the flavor of the week.
And once you’ve found that glow, once you’ve started to embrace the things that make you so wonderfully you, don’t - for Heaven’s sake - don’t let anyone dim your glow.
Not that mean girl on the internet who trolls all your videos.
Not the circumstances outside your control.
Not your age, the sun, your children nor your husband (they may add to your greys but GIRL they shouldn’t dim your glow!)
And not YOU!
Don’t dim your glow ever, because some ladies out there are still doing their best with sparkle (and that’s ok sister) but those ladies, still waiting for the confidence to do life their way, they need your glow because you bring out the best in them.
So glow on sister!
Shine in your own light and bring out the sparkle wherever you go!