I am shy. Innately. I like running just under the radar.
And then, on the other hand…I am on outrageous minx, a wild ball of fire, guzzling attention like it was Hi-test for my engine.
(Hmmm…which is my truth, which is my cultural conditioning?)
Tell me about you.
In your opinion, where do you fall on the spectrum of avoiding attention to demanding it?
Here is a quick test:
If you were dancing like no one was watching – and an admirer was actually viewing you from afar, enchanted by your beauty – would you be devastated or secretly delighted?
There is only one true answer: delighted (both).
No matter how we cut it, how we resist or desist, the deep irrefutable truth of the feminine persists.
Beauty is our nature. Attention is our fuel.
We are cut from the same shameless cloth as a six-month-old baby – thrilled to turn it on for anyone, anytime, no matter what, no matter when, no matter how.
Interesting, isn’t it?
We fully expect a baby to coo back at us when we notice her and interact appreciatively.
We actually worry about her if she can’t or won’t engage with us. Is she ok? Is something wrong?
And then, quite the opposite is true for women.
We are taught to shut it down, dial it down, turn it off, tone it down.
Don’t shine too bright, don’t delight too much in your own radiance. Keep a lid on it. Dump doubt on your magnificence so no one sees.
And whatever you do, do not let other women see you shine.
We misunderstand and misconstrue beauty.
We pick up the prejudices of the patriarchal world culture.
We think of beauty as a way to appear, rather than a way to live.
We think of inhabiting our beauty as vanity, rather than prayer.
But, darling.
There is a part of you that knows the truth about your lust for beauty, and wants to create beauty in as many ways as possible – the way you eat, the way you dress, the way you make art, the way you relate to your family and friends, the way you make love (to yourself or others), the way you bathe by moonlight.
Our culture can disconnect us from our truth, sometimes.
We can come to believe that our need for beauty is superficial. And selfish.
There is a huge consequence to this erroneous belief.
It disconnects us from our life force, our turn-on, our spiritual aliveness. Beauty – genuine beauty – flows from within. It is an expression of radiance, a love of life, deep gratitude, and palpable joy. Beauty is inclusive, celebratory, holy. Like nature, herself. Beauty is limitless, strange, quirky, awe inspiring, illogical, stirring, and endlessly diverse.
Beauty dares us to love what is.
To stand proudly in its manifestation through us.
Can you handle that?
For an hour, for a minute?
Every moment you tolerate your magnificence is a point for our team.
Can you give yourself permission to be as audacious and innocent as that six month-old baby, receiving and reflecting attention as fuel?
There is so much benefit to each of us, living into the truth of our design.
We can find and create beauty in change. Change is the creative process, kicking into gear.
When we do that, we can search for and create the beauty in change, rather than fear it.
We are meant to dream of beauty and create beauty on both the inner and the outer. Beauty heals; it soothes the soul, inspires appreciation, love, and devotion. It balances the nervous system. This is not meaningless, trivial, or impractical.
A world without beauty would not be a world any of us would want to inhabit.
So, just for today, how many ways can you choose to inhabit your beauty?
How many ways can you celebrate your magnificence?
Can you be as vulnerable and brave as that six month old – receiving, enjoying, and taking in the attention that your beauty generates in the world?
Can you actually accept your beauty?
With so much love and pleasure,
Regena Thomashauer, aka “Mama Gena”
The School of Womanly Arts
P.S. The SWA will be closed next week for our holiday break, beginning on Wednesday, December 18th, 2019 through January 2nd, 2020. Our team will be offline during that time, so make sure to connect with us beforehand with any questions!
Regena is a feminist icon, a teacher, a speaker, a mother, a best-selling author, and creatrix and CEO of The School of Womanly Arts.
