When I was a little girl, I was so fascinated with watching my mom put on makeup. It didn't matter if she was going to church or just making a grocery store run, she always had on her lipstick. I was so infatuated with the whole process that I would sneak into her makeup bag and use her stuff (which led to me accidentally shaving off part of my eyebrow).
Watching my mom do her daily routine was one of my first introductions to beauty, and all I knew is that one day I wanted my own beauty routine. Now that I'm an adult, I can understand that my mom's routine was more than just making sure she looked good for the day. I watched her faithfully go to work from Monday through Friday and then using the rest of the weekend to take care of me and our house.
As a now 24 (almost 25) year old, I finally understanding how exhausting it is to work day in and day out. When I say work, I don't just mean at a job. Yes, that is literally exhausting too. However, it's exhausting to just keep up with the daily things that it takes to live, while also reaching high to achieve dreams and newfound goals.
I often times find myself feeling drained, like I'm being pulled in a million different directions all at once. I've come to understand that the things that help me recenter and get back to feeling like myself are the little things. I used to think that to feel better in life, I had to do extravagant things like go on a vacation out the country or spend money on things I didn't need. Now I appreciate the small things that remind me of who I am and the joy that lies in what others may view as little or minute.
It finally clicked that when I was watching my mom, her beauty routine was a way for her to confidently walk into her day. Putting on her lipstick everyday was a small act of self care that would give her an extra boost or something to smile about before tackling whatever her day would bring. That moment, although simple, belonged to her.
I'm trying to find my own simple things that I can do regularly to help me disconnect mentally from things that I'm worried about or things that can be stressful. Lately, I've been finding so much joy in purchasing fashion and beauty magazines. Instead of solely using social media as a way to get inspired and learn more about the fashion/ beauty industry, picking up a magazine has been so much more fulfilling.
Something else that I've been doing recently is taking the time to find and curate my personal style. Rather than just dressing for the trends, I desire a wardrobe that screams ANGEL. To accomplish this, I've purged old clothes that don't align with how I want to show up. I've also been focusing more on being intentional with my purchases instead of carelessly spending on clothes that I only like for a few months.
As I navigate this journey of discovering small pleasures that make me feel good on a regular basis, I hope that you feel inspired to do the same. We're not designed to just work constantly without ever taking something for ourselves. Remember, it's all in the little things.
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