The beauty industry tends to define beauty as ‘confidence’ and through advertising and the media, explains how by using the right products and learning a few tricks of the trade, confidence can be easily enhanced. Yes, that’s true, having my brows shaped to properly frame my face, having silky smooth skin and rocking a nearly flawless self tan all definitely make me feel more confident and therefore, more beautiful, but I’ve recently come to find that beauty is so much more than just that. This new understanding through self discovery changed not only my career path, but also my entire perspective on life and in this moment, I couldn’t be more fulfilled or grateful.
Here’s how the transformation began…
Throughout my career, I’ve battled severe anxiety and excruciating migraines that would sometimes land me in the hospital and one hundred percent of the time make me bedridden for at least two days. To help keep them at bay, I took a daily medication for both. After years of being on the meds, a new neurologist recommended I go off them, which put me on a mission to try to feel my best through holistic practices. It was worth a shot, right? After all, the meds were just bandaids and I was determined to get to the root of the issues and fix them for good if I was able to. Here’s my blog post about my struggle going off the migraine meds. And let me tell you, the struggle was real!
Curing (yes, curing) myself of migraines through experimenting by using food as medicine, practicing yoga and meditating (I learned Transcendental Meditation) made me want to help others feel their best, too. I couldn’t believe that instead of taking pills for my health issues, I was able to control them through what I ate and by acting mindfully. My regular yoga practice not only helped to control my anxiety, but also enabled me to accept, appreciate and come to peace with my body, which I never thought I’d be able to do. Within the past year, I became a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Yoga Teacher on a mission.
Today, healthy and happy, I am fulfilled by reporting on beauty through a different lens, one that’s less focused on celebrity (I could honestly care less about how Kim Kardashian contours her face and I used to live for that kind of scoop!) and more on holistic beauty and wellness. Working with my nutrition clients and yoga students is just the icing on the cake. As an entrepreneur with an audience, I learned that the key to success is authenticity and that’s also my new definition of beauty. “Beauty is ___,” is a question I ask everyone I interview.
A truly beautiful person’s soul lights up everyone they come encounter with. They’re authentic to themselves, own their individuality, show gratitude for the life and opportunities they’re given and are compassionate towards all those around them.
I’d love to know, what’s your definition of beauty?
