What makes you feel beautiful? It can be hard to answer that question because we get so distracted by all the outside noise. From social media- to the relationships with women around us- to the messages we are consciously and subconsciously exposed to from the world around us about what beauty is, we don’t often take the time to really ask ourselves which of those messages really resonate with us.

So much of the time we are made to feel less than because of somebody else’s standard of beauty. But here’s the secret- you don’t actually have to live up to anybody else’s standard! Easier said than done, right? It is hard to build self-confidence independent of other people’s projections and judgments. But when you start taking the small steps to embrace your unique beauty, their voices get quieter, and your inner voice becomes the one you listen to. 

Need Support Reclaiming your Self Confidence?

I could give you a million reasons why you should feel beautiful and confident just as you are, but for most women, it’s going to take a little inner work for you to actually receive those compliments. True beauty isn’t just about physical beauty and body positivity. There is so much more that makes you uniquely beautiful.

I wanted to share a few tips I’ve learned through working with inspirational women through the boudoir photography sessions we do together, and also through doing the self-love work myself so that I can speak from my own experience, and share what I’ve learned.

Ditch the Comparison Game and Start Digging Deeper.

When we see another beautiful woman, we assume things about them. They must be so happy, they must have so much less stress because of the way they look, they must have a really healthy relationship with fill in the blank  (food, their body, money, their faith, their significant other, their friends, their children, their coworkers, etc…)

The truth is, these assumptions are based on our own stuff, and have little to do with the person we are projecting them onto. And more often than not, that woman you perceive as beautiful is fighting her own battle that you have no idea about!

So the first step is to start looking within. There are endless ways to get mindful and stop focusing on your outer image and get clear on your inner voice. It will help you stop wishing for what could be, and begin accepting and loving what IS. That’s a major step that will help bring out your true beauty. 

Here are just a few ways you can start on the road to being more mindful.

• Affirmations
• Meditations
• Journaling
• Grounding Exercises
• Intention Setting
• Art, Music, Poetry, Writing
• Reading Self Improvement Books 

Integrating these practices for just minutes a day can spark deep positive change in the way you feel about yourself, and carry yourself through the world.

Get Real About Your Body Image

Your body is what carries your soul through life. Women are programmed to spend hours every day focusing so much on our physical bodies and trying to hide our perceived flaws. We spend so much time picking clothes that flatter us, focusing on lighting, makeup, hair, lotions, and potions that are supposed to help us feel beautiful. Or worse, we spend time hiding our body and sometimes hiding away altogether from others. We miss out on wonderful experiences because we don’t feel naturally beautiful.  

The truth is, none of these actions will ever make us feel beautiful unless we give just as much attention to bringing out the incredible soul inside.

So- How do we bring out our inner beauty?

Ask yourself questions like 

• What makes you feel the most joy? 
• Where are you when you feel the stress and worry leave your body? 
• Who makes you feel most at ease when you are together? 
• When are you the most at peace with yourself?
• What kind of human do you aspire to be, and what makes you feel most like that? 

It’s time to spend just as much time focusing on that beautiful soul as you do on your physical body. 

That’s the ticket to bringing your unique beauty out. When you feel good you have a sparkle in your eyes. You have a magnetic energy that other people want to be around and that they want to emulate, you are aligned in your purpose and it feels powerful, and you ARE your most beautiful. 

Connect with Other Women on the Same Journey

You may be doing some of these things already, or they may encourage you to take the journey in your own way. Whatever you decide, just know that you deserve to feel beautiful and powerful, and if you don’t want to go it alone, you can join a tribe of badass women who will help remind you! I’d love to invite you to join my Facebook group: Samantha Byrd Boudie Babes, and together, we will lift each other up, break down stigmas and toxic ideas, and celebrate everything that makes us powerful and amazing, to make sure all women can embrace their unique beauty and thrive!