The beauty industry is one of the most lucrative enterprises out there. Billions of dollars are spent on the latest and the greatest beauty trends every year. Go to any newsstand and you'll be bombarded with all kinds of magazine covers promoting hundreds of ways to have a tighter this or a sexier that. There's always some new eye shadow, richer concealer, or longer-lasting lipstick being pitched to you, all in an effort to not only make you more beautiful, but to make that beauty last. But with all these products at our disposal, there is one that most of us never put on. It's the one beauty tool that is not only more effective than all the others, but it leaves a more lasting impression every time you wear it. Just like one of those popular DIY home beauty remedies, it's always been at your fingertips, but you probably don't know it. Best of all, it's absolutely free and it customizes itself to you the moment you put it on. Amazing, right?
By now you're probably saying, "Get to the point already, girl! What is it?" Okay, okay. I won't keep you in suspense any longer. This miracle-working beauty game-changer is called CONFIDENCE.
What's so beautiful about confidence, you ask? I wondered the same thing myself a few years ago when my husband pitched this concept to me. You see, I had become a little too dependent on those things that I thought I needed to help me hide all my so-called flaws. I would stress about which shoes would make my feet not look so wide, which jeans made me look less fat, which concealer would be best for covering up my blemishes, etc. Worst of all, I had a nasty habit of making self-deprecating comments about my appearance, and it was particularly annoying to my husband. He said it actually hurt him to hear me talk about myself that way, and he couldn't understand why I did it. Oh, I was full of compliments when it came to my friends. But when it came to embracing myself (flaws and all), I chose to focus on what I felt I lacked rather than what I actually possessed. One day, when my husband just got fed up with me putting myself down, he decided to let me in on what REAL men (emphasis intended) actually find most attractive about a woman - and it's not what you think.
He revealed to me that despite what I might think, I'm most attractive when I feel confident about myself. He said confidence is so powerful that it works even if I when I don't have a stitch of makeup on my face. Basically, makeup, hairstyles, and clothes only serve to enhance my beauty; they don't define it. This doesn't just apply to me either. When you, as a woman, are confident in who you are, you exude warmth and genuine joy. Joy is powerful and infectious, and people are naturally drawn to it. Now how sexy is that?!
Not long after my husband and I had this revelatory discussion, I decided to try out this confidence concept while I was on a business trip in Chicago. I was working at an event that I had never worked before with some people I'd just met. I was feeling a little anxious and overwhelmed beforehand. But this time, instead of allowing myself to stress about my outer appearance, I chose to utter a brief prayer before I left my hotel room. I reaffirmed to myself that God was with me and that there was nothing that He and I could not handle. It worked wonders! After the event was over, one of the gentlemen I was working with came over and said to me, "I don't know how you did it all. You've got to be one of the most confident women I've ever met. You never even broke a sweat! It's been a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to working with you again." Little did he know, I barely even knew what I was doing. Made my week!
You may be thinking, "Yeah Tracy, but it's not so easy when you don't feel confident." I've been there. But here's something I've learned and it really helped to take the pressure off. Confidence doesn't start with how you feel, it starts with what you do. It's a choice you make at every opportunity to apply faith in who God says you are and what He has already promised to do on your behalf. You literally have the power to choose to put this belief on and wear it like a badge of honor. Just like the Bible says in Ephesians 6:11 to "Put on the whole armor of God," you must put on confidence. Act like it even if you don't feel it. It's a whole lot easier when the confidence you're putting on is not in yourself, but in God. For once, you don't have to be a perfectionist! His strength is truly made perfect in your weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
Today, I invite you to let God become your personal makeup artist. Trust me, the product he uses will never fade or go out of style. So put on some confidence and go get your shine on, girl!
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