"Noticing. What a gift." — Byron Katie
I started wearing makeup in middle school. I wish I could say that it was a form of creative expression, But I wasn't using glitter or eyeliner as a way of telling the world how much I loved David Bowie... I was using foundation (and a LOT of it) to cover up all of the "imperfections" on my face that I had suddenly become so very aware of. I had no clue what I was doing, The shade was all wrong and I put it on way too thick... But none of that mattered to me then. All that mattered was making myself appear "presentable". As time went on my technique improved and I started to have fun with it, I even worked as a makeup artist in my late teens/early 20s. But my motivation never changed. I didn't use makeup to enhance my beauty...I used it to hide my flaws. It was like a layer of protection I would put on everyday before leaving the house. It made me feel safe. And for YEARS I would not leave the house without putting on some amount of "face". But a funny thing happened this weekend. I had a spa appointment and needed to show up with a bare face, so I did. After the appointment I ran some errands. I went shopping. Picked up groceries. Grabbed a coffee. A few hours later I came home and it hit me.
I didn't have any makeup on that whole time.
At first I just shrugged it off and thought "no big deal". But it was a big deal. See, people often think that growth happens as the result of a momentous event... Like tackling your fear of heights by jumping out of a plane. But most of the time it's something that is happening quietly in the background. It's so subtle that you don't even notice that things are changing...
Until you do.
And when you do finally notice, When you stop and say to yourself, "huh, this is different", It opens up a whole new world of possibility. Because once you recognize your ability to grow, to change, to evolve, You get to LET GO of that version of yourself that you were holding onto... The one that's "broken". The one that "can't". And you get to step into your own power. Those moments of noticing may not always seem earth shattering... But it doesn't make them any less special. Because the power doesn't come from the size of the change...it comes from simply seeing the change... It comes from acknowledging. Appreciating. CELEBRATING.
What have you noticed lately?
Maybe it's that you didn't need a glass of wine after a stressful day. Maybe it's that you ate a cookie without feeling guilty about it. Maybe it's that you held a boundary even though it was uncomfortable. Have you allowed yourself to really SEE those shifts? Have you given yourself the credit you deserve? Or have you been shrugging of these signs of growth as "no big deal"? This week I encourage you to stop and allow yourself to notice all the little ways you are moving differently through the world. Let yourself feel proud of how far you've come. And smile to yourself knowing that you have the power to go so much further.
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