Lesson #3: Be Mindful of Your Mindset
This next lesson is similar to lesson #2, and it focuses on our personal beliefs about ourselves, what we are capable of, and what we deserve in life. I made this epiphany about mindset in high school in a a funny way. As a freshman In high school I had a crush on one of the cutest upperclassmen in school. I remember feeling like this handsome guy would never notice me. In my mind, not only was I a freshman but I didn't consider myself anything special. I didn't think I was ugly, but I knew that I could blend with the crowd and fall under the radar. One day during lunch I saw that he was holding hands with a girl, and I was shocked that his girlfriend was not the most typical girl that guys would swoon over. And yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as wrong as this may sound, she did not fit the mold associated with the standards of beauty that we grow up watching. But, what she had was an endless amount of confidence. You could see her confidence in the way she walked, the way she spoke, and even her presence was a little intimidating. After observing her, I learned that although I didn't initially think she was beautiful, she convinced me about who she was through her energy, through what she believed about herself. I understood why he liked her. She was gorgeous in a deeper way, and her confidence alone would suck you in.
I told myself, "She believes that she's beautiful and that impacts how people perceive us." So I went home and started to tell myself affirmations about my own beauty. I would say, "I am pretty. I like the sound of my voice. I like the way I walk." At first I didn't see much impact, but after several weeks of saying these affirmations I experienced a shift.
One morning I woke up and I noticed that my skin had a beautiful glow. I noticed that I started filling out my clothes in a way that I hadn't noticed before. My hair appeared to be fuller, longer and healthier. I would look into the mirror and I began to really enjoy my reflection, and I saw a definite correlation to my affirmations and my self confidence.
I'm not absolutely sure if these changes truly happened within this period or if it was a change in how I began to see myself. It may be that it was a little bit of both. But there was a change, a change in how I began to see myself, interact with the world around me, and how others began to perceive me.
I never got this guy to look in my direction...lol, but I was able to acquire a new consciousness about myself that has served me far better than having a guy like me. What we believe will be, and in particular what we believe about ourselves influences what others think of you. If you truly believe you are one of the smartest people in a room, many will believe that you have something of substance to share. If you believe wholeheartedly that you're a leader, most people will submit to your ideas and direction. And lastly if you believe you are worthy, people will respect you. The same applies if you hold negative beliefs, and if you are insecure or think that you are inadequate in any capacity, people will smell this from a mile away and unfortunately label you as someone who may not be able to perform for whatever reason. Therefore, it's our job to eliminate these negative beliefs by re-training and filling our mindset with the best traits we have to offer.
Lesson #3: Be Mindful of Your Mindset
Outfit Time: I wanted to find a way to wear shorts with my new Black over the knee boots. And while looking in my closet I found these white shorts I bought in Panama several years ago. It's on trend to wear white during fall and winter, so I figured these shorts were perfect. Also, the shorts have a Black square pattern that would tie in the Black boots perfectly. Since it's getting cooler outside I thought a black turtle neck with a touch of white around the wrists, neck and waistline would look great with the black and white shorts. I also thought the Black panty hose would bring the whole look together. Lastly, the panty hose have a cute polk-a dot pattern that adds a lovely detail, but does not make the outfit look too busy.
Most of this outfit I already had in my closet, so I attached amazon links of pieces that were similar in style.
I hope you enjoy your sunday!!