#Bernard: *radiating concern* how about we watch something instead

[ljones41]

"ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE" (1969) Review

"ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE" (1969) Review At least ten years or more must have passed since I last saw the 1969 Bond movie, “ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (OHMSS)”. EON Production’s sixth entry in the Bond franchise has the distinction of being the only movie that starred Australian male model-turned-actor, George Lazenby. It was the first EON movie that did not star Sean Connery – already fixed in the public’s mind as the only actor who can portray James Bond. And it was the only movie that was directed by former film editor, Peter Hunt.

I first became aware of “OHMSS” back in the mid-1980s. I had seen it on television once, when I was a child. But ABC Television’s botched editing had turned me off from the movie. I eventually became a fan during repeated viewings of the movie during the mid and late 1980s. By the beginning of the 1990s, “OHMSS” had been fixed as my favorite Bond movie. For years, it remained in this position, despite repeating viewings of other Bond movies, the release of the Brosnan films and my own mysterious reluctance to watch “OHMSS”. It seemed as if I was afraid to watch it again, fearful that my earlier adulation of the film might prove to be misguided. And then EON Productions released “CASINO ROYALE” in the theaters back in 2006. "CASINO ROYALE" had impressed me so much that my doubts about “OHMSS” increased even further. After seeing “CASINO ROYALE” for the third time and 2008's "QUANTUM OF SOLACE", I finally decided to watch “OHMSS” for the first time in years. In the end, my fears seemed groundless. My latest viewing of “OHMSS” proved that I had every right to view it as one of my all time favorite Bond movies. After 41 years, the movie still holds up as one of the finest Bond movies in the entire franchise, if not the finest. And it also one of the few Bond films to closely follow its source, namely the 1963 novel penned by Ian Fleming. What makes the latter remarkable is that the previous Bond entry, “YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” barely resembled its literary source, aside from a few characters and the setting. “OHMSS” picks up with Bond searching for Blofeld, now wanted by various governments for his past forays into international terrorism and extortion. His search leads to meeting the most important woman in his life other than Vesper Lynd – Teresa (Tracy) Draco di Vicenzo. Not only will his meeting with Tracy lead to a serious change in his private life, it will also affect his professional life, thanks to Tracy’s father, Marc-Ange Draco when he provides Bond with information leading to Blofeld. Of course, Draco was only willing to provide this information, if Bond courts his daughter. In the end, Bond not only tracks down Blofeld, but destroy the latter’s latest attempt to extort the United Nations. But as many know, Bond’s latest professional conflict will result in tragedy for his private life. I only have a few problems with “OHMSS”. One of them was the director Peter Hunt’s decision to have actor George Baker (portraying the real Sir Hilary Bray), dub Lazenby’s voice, while Bond is impersonating Sir Hilary at Piz Gloria. Why they had decided to do this confounds me. It seemed very unnecessary, unless the director was aiming for Sir Hilary to sound like a cliché of a British scholar. Another problem I had were some of the jokes that came out of Bond’s mouth. I consider this problem minor, since “OHMSS” – like many other Bond movies had its share of good and bad jokes. One particularly good joke was the St. Bernard who came to Bond’s “rescue” after the latter had survived his bobsled fight against Blofeld. And last, but not least, there were a few moments when the editing seemed a bit . . . questionable. A good example would be the scene that featured Bond’s first meeting with Draco. There is a moment when it seemed that Bond had asked Draco for Blofeld’s whereabouts. It seemed as if Lazenby had spoken too soon, cutting off actor Gabriele Ferzetti’s lines too soon. Another viewing seemed to reveal that poor editing might have been at fault and not Lazenby’s acting. And another review seemed to agree with my findings. Aside from the previously mentioned quibbles, I had no problems with “OHMSS”. In fact there is so much to enjoy about this movie – including the main star, George Lazenby. Many critics and fans either tend to dismiss his performance as wooden or give him minor credit for his valiant attempt at a decent performance. Frankly, I think that he was a lot better than many give him credit for. I must admit that he has a rather odd voice (which I suspect has been influenced by his Australian accent), but so did most of the other Bonds – including Connery’s tendency to indulge in pre-adolescent diction, Moore’s drawl, Dalton’s Welsh accent and Brosnan’s . . . well, I cannot really describe Brosnan’s voice. I just find it odd. But despite Lazenby’s odd voice, his acting comes off very natural and he seems to project Bond’s emotions with an ease that should not have come easy to him. But he does. And instead of portraying Bond as some kind of action/sexual icon, he portrays the character as very human. This is very obvious in the following scenes: -Bond’s growing impatience with Tracy’s antics -Bond’s surprise that M had given him leave instead of accepting his resignation -Bond’s breakthrough with Tracy -the Piz Gloria dinner sequence -Bond’s fear of capture during his escape from Piz Gloria -Bond’s proposal of marriage to Tracy -Bond’s quarrel with M over Tracy and Blofeld -Tracy’s death

Personally, I thought that Lazenby really shined in the marriage proposal scene, those scenes that featured Bond’s quarrels with M and the Piz Gloria dinner sequence. Despite having his voice dubbed by George Baker in the latter, Lazenby managed to express Bond’s emotions during that scene effortlessly without having to say a word. The movie also benefited from the presence of Diana Rigg, who had recently left “THE AVENGERS” to begin a movie career. What can one say about the great Diana? Not only did she effortlessly combine all the complex personality traits of Tracy di Vicenzo – witty, emotional, sad, brave, determined, etc. Is it any wonder that Tracy is viewed by many actresses as the ultimate Bond woman? Even better, both Rigg and Lazenby managed to create great chemistry together as the romantically doomed pair. Not only did “OHMSS” benefited from both Lazenby and Rigg’s performances, the pair was ably supported by a fine cast that included the warm and charismatic Gabriele Ferzetti as Tracy’s father, the talented Ilse Steppat who portrayed the intimidating Irma Bunt shortly before her death (she never lived to experience the movie’s release), the always dependable Bernard Lee as M – giving one of his better performances, and the charming and fun Angela Scoular as Blofeld’s English patient, Ruby. Of course one cannot forget the legendary Telly Savalas, who became the second actor to portray Ernst Blofeld on-screen. And as far as I’m concerned, he was the best. He was not impeded by Donald Pleasance’s ridiculous scar and questionable accent or Charles Gray’s foppish portrayal. Instead, he radiated intelligence and menace, making him the only Blofeld (in my opinion) worthy of being Bond’s nemesis. I also have to commend Peter Hunt’s direction. “OHMSS” was his first time at bat as a director. Any other inexperienced director could have turned one of Ian Fleming’s best novels into a hash job. Fortunately, Hunt proved to be a talented director and did justice to the novel – although I did have a problem with the editing of a few of his scenes. Hunt was not only ably supported by a fine cast, but by screenwriter Richard Maibaum, editor and future director John Glen, and John Barry’s marvelous score and Hal David’s haunting lyrics to the song, “We Have All the Time In the World”. Cinematographer Michael Reed superbly recaptured the majesty of the Swiss Alps and the exotic elegance of Portugal with his photography. And one cannot forget skier Willy Bogner Jr. and Alex Barbey for creating the first and probably best ski chase in the Bond franchise. I could probably go on about how much I love “OHMSS”, but I do not want to sound repetitive. What can I say? After 39 years, I consider to still be one of the best Bond movies in the franchise . . . and definitely one of my favorites. And I am happy to see that “OHMSS” is finally being recognized by many as the fine film it is. If you have not seen this film, I suggest that you rent or buy it as soon as possible. Or else you might miss something special. 

#eon productions #james bond #james bond franchise #on her majesty's secret service #ohmss #george lazenby #diana rigg #telly savalas #gabriele ferzetti #ilsa steppat #bernard lee #lois maxwell #desmond llewelyn #ruby scoular #joanna lumley #catherine schell #louis armstrong #peter hunt #albert broccoli #george baker #bernard horsfall #virginia north #irvin allen

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/

[morrisbrokaw]

Self-care Matters

Photographer, author, founder of Women of Spirit and one of our Inspirational Women, Susie Mackie shares her words of wisdom for taking care of yourself!

  Susie Mackie

As a believer in the fact that body-confidence comes from within and stems from how we FEEL about ourselves rather than the way we look, we need to address the burning issue of self-love – or lack of – NOW.

Self-love is often seen as selfish, unattainable, only for others, even arrogant! Yet lack of it has a detrimental effect on our lives.

Kristin Neff, the pioneer of self-compassion research, describes this as follows:

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognising that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

It took me until my late 50’s to begin to increase my self-esteem and learn to love myself. Now, at 62, I am living proof that it is never too late to know your worth and that self-love brings all sorts of happiness and joy! Life is far too short to live it in a state of low self-esteem and suffer the consequences of this, so my life’s purpose has become encouraging and empowering other women to value and love themselves – far earlier than the age of 62!

Value is about making time to appreciate yourself, to allow for some ‘me’ time and to enjoy guilt-free treats. It all stems from having a sense of self-worth, which comes from within. It’s that word again: ‘self-worth’. A lot of similar words have been floating around the media recently; words like ‘self-love’, ‘well-being’ and ‘body-confidence’ are all widely used nowadays, but what do they actually mean?

Well, ‘worth’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held.” How much we value ourselves is dependent on how much self-worth we feel we have. Therefore, if we feel low and unworthy, it is likely that we will forget to make time for ourselves, to appreciate who we see in the mirror.

When we love being who we are, the rest of the world is wonderful. When you feel great about yourself, isn’t it amazing how other people become really nice to you! It’s all about that superpower, the law of attraction.

All of our thoughts and actions stem from the way we see ourselves. Our self-image is coloured by our successes and failures, our experiences (I’ve always said to my daughters that it’s not so much the experience which matters, it’s how you handle them and what you learn from them which matters), our thoughts about ourselves, and other people’s reaction to us.

It’s hugely important to realise that our self-image determines how much we like our world and living in it, and how much we will achieve in life. So think about the way you think and talk about yourself. Are you kind to yourself, or if you treated your friends the way you treat yourself, how many friends do you think you’d have left? Treat yourself with kindness and compassion, and see what a difference it makes to your whole outlook. We create our own quality of life based on our own self-image – and we decide our own self-image. We decide our own worth, and we decide how much happiness to expect. Have a good think about this – in the past few years, I have, and believe me, it’s true, and I know the difference it makes!

Aim to follow these guidelines:

Nobody else will give you permission to spend time on yourself – you have to take it – it’s not selfish, it’s self-full.

Find out what brings you joy – and do as much of it as you can!

Be the real you – if you are happy, it shows, and that’s attractive. Be happy with what you have already, but there is no need to apologise for wanting more.

Be someone who inspires others to respect you – you can only do this if you truly value yourself.

Have a fabulously positive attitude – or pretend to until it comes naturally! Be a radiator, not a drain

Mix with radiators – avoid drains!

So many things in life take courage – aspire to have the best, and the best will come.

Do you think that confidence is sometimes a matter of how you cover up the lack of it? I do. I had a conversation with a woman today who always comes across as positively sparky in her confidence – yet today she admitted to me that she’s like a swan – all serene and confident on the surface, yet paddling madly underneath, with wobbles just as much as anyone. I found this admission of vulnerability positively endearing and warmed to her immediately.

If you look good (from your fabulous Hotter shoes upwards!) you will feel better – having a great external image (which of course means you value yourself enough for this) goes a long way to giving you the feeling of confidence – and soon that little seed of confidence will grow and eventually take root, until you blossom into the authentically confident person you were always meant to be.

It’s important to stop for a moment and think about the last time we enjoyed a guilt-free treat. By asking questions such as, “how often does abundance and joy enter my life?” you allow yourself time to pause and evaluate.

I hope that by assessing how much we value ourselves, we can start to make decisions about how to increase our self-worth. Perhaps that’s by starting the day with a ten-minute meditation or exercise routine, or by practicing mindfulness for five minutes in the evening, or even enjoying favourite music in the evening instead of watching television. There are so many simple ways to make time for ourselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

‘Indulgence’, ‘me time’, ‘pleasure’, ‘abundance and joy’ and ‘well-being’ are all topics that allow us to reflect on our sense of self-worth. By making just a small amount of time to do what we love, we are positively changing the way we view ourselves. To ‘indulge’ is described as “to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of…”!

So, what are you going to do this week to indulge in what you love?!

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Find out more about Susie at Inspirational Women and Women Of Spirit

Self-care Matters published first on https://workbootsandshoes.tumblr.com/