How To Feel Beautiful

I'm not an expert. And actually I don't feel beautiful all the time (shocker!). But when I want to feel beautiful and there's no boy around to tell me how hot I am, here's what I do:

1. Listen to beautiful music. I don't mean "feel good music" and I don't mean "instrumental kind of sad and lonely" music. I mean beautiful. Empowering. Sometimes I listen to worship music, and sometimes I stumble upon simply classy, beautiful and lovely music.

Like Mindy Gledhill. I'm currently obsessed. I'll include some YouTube videos in case you are wanting to feel beautiful.

2. I lay on my bed, or I sit by myself and I close my eyes. And I think about how pretty I think I am. I open my eyes and pretend there's a camera to pose for. I know that sounds kind of childish and very imaginative, and sometimes people don't like to have their picture taken. But this is my camera and it only captures the best angles in my imagination.

It's all about the eyes. Smile with your eyes. Imagine that you can just show any emotion through your eyes and convey it directly to the camera. I know that when I do this to a real camera it never works, but in my mind it always turns out exactly how I want it to look.

3. I draw. I draw eyes, because they are the most beautiful part of a person. I love the feeling I get when I put pencil (or charcoal) to paper. There's something so magical about taking a blank slate and turning it into something else.

Sometimes I just doodle because sometimes those can be the most beautiful things. You just start and then wait to see where you end up.

4. I take a shower. I imagine that I'm in one of those Dove soap/body wash commercials. I examine the water droplets on my shoulder. I'm fascinated by the way they run down my skin. The water falling off the tip of my nose.

5. Laugh. Laugh at stupid things, laugh at funny things, laugh at your memories. Smile and laugh at the same time. Laugh at something simple. Just be pleased with life at this very moment. You don't have to be a super model, you don't have to be Megan Fox (in fact, I'm glad I'm not) to be beautiful. And laughter makes a happy soul and when you have a happy soul you are more beautiful than any super model could ever be.

6. Breathe. Usually I don't feel beautiful when I'm stressed out or upset. This makes me tense and when I breathe, I'm able to relax.

7. I look at nature. Nature is always pretty, even when it's imperfect. There is beauty in flaws and no one can deny that. Besides, God made nature and God made me. Therefore I am beautiful simply because I am alive.

8. Confidence. I've lost this so many times I've lost count. But Prince always reminds me that a confident woman is a beautiful woman, and even if I am no longer trying to be beautiful for him, I need to be confident for myself.

I have confidence in sunshine, I have confidence in rain, I have confidence that spring will come again.

9. I go to the gym. I know it's not the place to go be beautiful because you don't feel fit next to that girl over there and you're all sweaty, but sometimes sweaty can be beautiful. It's mostly the feeling I get after a tough work out that makes me feel beautiful.

I just worked off 500 calories! A sense of accomplishment! I could do anything! And that is a beautiful feeling.

10. I do my hair. And my make up. Then I could wear sweats and still be beautiful. Doing all of these things while listening to beautiful music just adds to the fact that I am a beautiful person.

I don't need to compare myself to any one else. I don't need to be valued higher than gold by the boys of this world. I don't need to listen to the social media to understand what makes me lovely. I am beautiful. I am amazing. I don't need a boy to tell me that to justify it. I just am.

And there's beauty in that fact right there.

My blue eyes make me beautiful. My attitude makes me beautiful. My Creator makes me beautiful.

This week without Prince Charming is more about self discovery than it is about getting "over" Prince Charming. I'm never going to be completely over him. He will always have a special place in my heart, but I have to love myself before I can let him love me like he used to. He has to love himself before he can love me like he used to.

I have to be a whole person before I can be in a relationship. Someone shouldn't complete you, they should just add to your awesomeness.

And as promised, the beautiful music: