Think for a moment of someone close to you.  This should be someone who means a lot to you, someone you care deeply about.  Have you thought of someone?

Now think back for a moment.  When is the last time you spent some quality time with this person?  When is the last time you did something fun together, or even just had a meaningful conversation?

Quality time together is very important when it comes to maintaining and strengthening relationships with those we love.  This music video by The Piano Guys depicts different examples of quality time.

I hope something in that video made you smile, even if it was simply the music, and even if the smile only lasted for a few seconds.

This week I challenge you to spend some quality time with someone you care about.  It may be the person you identified above, or someone else may come to mind.  Whoever it is, make a little time for them in your busy schedule this week.   And remember, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to time. 

Have you ever met one of those inspiring people who have found ways to enjoy life, despite significant trials and struggles?  I'm not talking about people who always pretend everything is going great.  I'm talking about the people who have learned to really appreciate all of life - the good moments and the bad moments.  That doesn't mean their bad moments aren't difficult, discouraging or even depressing.  They are.  These inspiring people know that, and they most definitely have bad days.  But sometimes bad days can help us more deeply appreciate the good days, and difficult things can help us value more  greatly the wonderful, amazing things. 

Stephanie Nielson is one of these inspiring people. 
Burned over 80% of her body in an airplane crash, she lived to tell her story.  You can learn more about her amazing story and her memoir "Heaven is Here" in the following video.

We all experience difficulties at some point in our lives.  It is important to honor our suffering, even as we struggle to move forward in life.  When we can learn to do that, we might just become one of these inspiring people, and we will definitely grow, possibly in unanticipated ways.

Need a 1 ½ minute vacation?  Enjoy this brief nature video by award-winning cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg.

Now take 10 slow, deep breaths.............

 
Pause for a moment and observe with curiosity how you feel after doing so.  
  
Take one last deep breath and go about the rest of your day.

Have you ever looked at pictures of famous people and been amazed at their flawless beauty?  Do you see perfection in those images and find you compare your imperfections to their apparent perfection? 
If you do, what does the comparison trigger in you?

Insecurity?  Feelings of failure?  Hopelessness?  Decreased self-confidence?  Self-criticism? 
Self-hatred?  Depression?  Just to name a few possibilities...

Comparing ourselves to others is not healthy, but comparing ourselves to current images of "beautiful people" is even worse.  Why?  Because those images are NOT REAL!  Between the extensive make-up, professional hairstylists, special lighting, and modern technology which allows images to be manipulated and enhanced, the finished product is beautiful, but it is not reality! 

The following video by Hungarian singer Boggie demonstrates how much effort goes into creating beautiful images for media.  

True beauty should not be about trying to meet the world's standards of beauty -
flawless skin, perfect hair, the perfect nose, etc...

True beauty should be about learning who you are and focusing on what good
you can offer those around you.

Making a positive difference in the lives of those you love is beauty.
Reaching out to help those in need is beauty.
Developing self-compassion is beauty.
Standing up for what you believe in is beauty.

This week I challenge you to set aside the world's standards of beauty and
dare to start taking steps toward developing self-acceptance and discovering your authentic beauty. 

If you need some ideas on how to start doing that, Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance by Rosie Molinary has a lot of great suggestions.

“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin.
It's about knowing and accepting who you are.”
~  Ellen DeGeneres

“We wear on our faces the results of what we believe and how we behave...”
~ Gordon B. Hinckley

“When I lay my head on the pillow at night I can say I was a decent person today.
That's when I feel beautiful.”
  ~Drew Barrymore