Do I still feel beautiful?
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Do I still feel beautiful?
Asking myself "Do I still feel beautiful?" began as a personal experiment to gauge if a particular food I chose affected how I was feeling.
My question uses the word ‘beautiful’, however the definition here of beautiful has absolutely nothing to do with body shape, appearance, skin condition, facial features or anything external like these –– but it has everything to do with my inner beauty, self-worth and degree to which I want to let people see Me.
We all know the feeling when we’re dressed up in our perfectly fitting favourite jeans with a pair of gorgeous heels, or wearing the top that sits seamlessly across our décolletage and shows just the right amount of skin, yes? We like what we see in the mirror, but more importantly we like the way we feel inside. We feel lovely and open and willing to be seen by everyone from the inside out. We are willing to show the world who we are without reservation.
We can get that same feeling when walking along a beach at sunrise as the sun warms our face, when cuddling a puppy or having a fantastic conversation with an old friend. These can all be moments when we feel truly, truly beautiful.
It doesn’t matter what we actually look like, but what we notice is how damn fine we feel! Chances are though, that we do look pretty great anyway.
It was this feeling that I used as my marker of ‘beautiful’
The Experiment
It was not so much clinically planned or organised . . . rather a desire to ‘out’ foods that I was eating that I kind of knew deep down weren’t supportive for me, but I needed something tangible as proof that eating that food stops me being able to fully express who I am. Answering the question gave me the tangible proof I needed.
It was through trial and error whereby I could figure out how each food felt in my body after I ate it by asking myself the "do I still feel beautiful" question. I had already noticed that eating a tub of yoghurt made me feel nauseous and my skin itchy, and eating a bucket of hot chips made me feel bloated and thirsty for hours afterwards. These overt physical changes were very clear, but I could sense that there were more responses to feel in my body that were not so obvious. I could feel dull, irritated, sad, resentful – even lonely – just by eating a particular food; emotions that just didn’t belong in my body if I wanted to feel beautiful as my norm. I wanted to ‘out’ the not-so-obvious foods I would eat that would take away my feeling beautiful, or my connection to my inner sparkle.
Through the experiment I started to easily work out which foods would take me out of feeling beautiful: some for me were gluten-free substitutes to bread and cakes, honey and dried fruit. What also helped was asking myself if I want to wear my blue silk shirt after eating – I often choose this shirt when I’m feeling really lovely on the inside, so if I find that I wouldn’t choose to put it on, then it is because I’ve somehow lost my sense of sparkle.
That food I ate has taken away my SPARKLE!
The upshot of the experiment was twofold.
- First, I uncovered that I was now accepting that I had ‘a sparkle’ and that sparkle was worth protecting and worth sharing. My food choices were changing because I was connecting to a feeling inside that was ultimately precious and that I could now accept was there. The true healing from the experiment became this acceptance with being more than a physical body, and being comfortable with that knowing.
- Secondly, I can now choose more supportive food because for me it is important that feeling sparkly is my normal. Not at all to determine what I wear, but so I can live Me and show my true self in all my gorgeous glory.
Will I still feel beautiful?
After a while I realised that I could pre-empt the effect a food choice was going to have on me – I didn’t have to wait until AFTER I had eaten something. I changed the question and began asking myself BEFORE I ate something, “Will I still feel beautiful after eating this?” This meant – am I still accepting of and comfortable with showing and sharing all of me, the greater me, from the inside out?
Feeling beautiful changes everything
Soon I was wondering about using the "do I still feel beautiful" marker to gauge how other choices affected me too, such as how I communicated, exercised or drove a car. Food for thought . . .
Asking, "do I still feel beautiful?" has allowed me to consistently choose to eat food not based on its calories, fat or sugar content, etc., but simply on the merit of it leaving me feeling that inner sparkle, that deliciousness, that truly, truly beautiful sense of myself.
Do YOU still feel beautiful?
"It is a contradiction to accept anything that is less than you being amazing."
Serge Benhayon Esoteric Teachings & Revelations, p 178
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Lifestyle, Nurturing, Self-love, Beauty tips
