How can I inspire other women to feel and look youthful when I feel and look overwhelmed by life?
For the past few months I have been getting down on my appearance. I work as a women’s wellness and anti-aging consultant and appearances do make a difference in this line of work, but it’s usually been easy to be okay with my imperfections. In June I turned 50 and life got even busier between making a family simcha and helping my husband more in his business. Not to mention the world continuing to get super intense, something that’s been a source of ongoing stress for me. What can I tell you – these things take a toll on the face, no doubt.
The following chatter kept creeping up in my head: how can I inspire other women to feel and look youthful when I feel and look overwhelmed by life?
Thankfully I caught myself and have been doing my favorite thing for any issue that I have – yishuv hada’as – settling of the mind, which is the art of getting clear on exactly where I am holding in life, where I am going and what is Hashem’s will in all of this?
This is what came to me:
- I am so grateful for all of the information I have about wellness and anti-aging. The self-care I have done over the years with this information may not have been perfect, but it has vastly contributed to my health, energy, and youthfulness. Thank You Hashem!
- It’s not perfection that will help me serve others in my capacity as a wellness and anti-aging consultant. It’s consistency in living in a way that I believe is Hashem’s will for me to live, (even if it may not lead me to looking perfect), as well as sharing my own imperfect journey (instead of trying to look like the perfect teacher).
The world continuing to get super intense, something that’s been a source of ongoing stress for me. What can I tell you – these things take a toll on the face, no doubt.
Which brings me to Elul.
During Elul, it’s easy to get down on ourselves for not doing the teshuva work exactly in the way we “should be” doing it or had in mind to do it. This can lead to being so down on ourselves that we do even less, which is exactly what the evil inclination wants.
In my humble opinion, in our teshuva process and every other process in life, we are allowed to be a mess, even a hot mess at times, as well as share that vulnerable side of us. Being scared of being judged by people is an evil inclination distraction meant to take us away from focusing on the fact that our only concern is being judged by Hashem and the Heavenly Court.
Guess what?
Hashem wants you to be REAL in your process of growth and serving Him and proud of it. And – you can inspire your family and others through your realness, imperfection, and vulnerability.
No, it doesn’t mean you have to drop every emotion down every time someone asks you how you are doing or every time you are trying to set an example or to inspire others. It does mean that you can inspire through being real with your message, whatever it may be. When people see that you are REAL, they tend to trust you more and actually LISTEN to what you have to say.
Hashem wants you to be REAL in your process of growth and serving Him!
Don’t get down on yourself for not being exactly where you think you should be in your teshuva process, relationships, health work, or anything else you are striving towards. Don’t be scared to be yourself. You can achieve your vision. Yes, you may fail along the way but that doesn’t render you incapacitated. Don’t let the overwhelm stop you or make you settle for less.
When you listen to your inner voice, instead of comparing yourself with others or with the goals you set for yourself that you have still not accomplished, you can push through all the evil inclination talk inside your head, trying to stop you from moving forward.
Last week I made (a lot) more time for:
Yishuv ha’daas
Going within
Breath work
Letting go of over committing and over scheduling
Showing up unfiltered in whatever way and capacity
Wishing you a good Elul my dear ladies!
