brown eyed beauty

She was a vision of beauty, truly enchanting with her raven-black hair, luminous brown eyes, and vibrant wardrobe. Yet, her self-perception was marred by harsh criticism and self-doubt, casting shadows of exhaustion under her eyes. Nights were sleepless, filled with the ceaseless drone of an inner critic she longed to silence. She yearned, night and day, to embrace more supportive affirmations like: "I deserve to be here. I am doing great! I’m good at what I do; capable, calm, and grounded."
Years of group therapy, meditation, mentorship, yoga, and time immersed in nature offered her fleeting moments of tranquility, but these reprieves were always too brief. She engaged in these restorative practices repeatedly, all the while forgetting her true self, her talents, her beauty, and her wisdom.
The brown-eyed beauty recognized the destructive influence of her self-critical mind as an echo of her upbringing where relentless judgment and impossible standards were expected. This double bind thoroughly jeopardized her ability to fill her life with the connection and beauty she so desperately craved.
In her journey of self-awareness, she realized that not all thoughts are worthy of engagement; some are best left to dissolve into oblivion. This wasn't avoidance, but a strategy of wisdom, for she was running out of the will to merely survive, let alone thrive. She pulled herself from the river of her mind, standing on the riverbank as an observer, allowing her thoughts to drift downstream and out of sight. As the torrent of thoughts slowed, so did her breathing, her mind, her emotions, and all the energies within her, making the process smoother and more effortless.
With a calm mind, she redirected her focus inward toward the felt-sense of her deep, inner presence, her existence, and the exalted qualities of her higher self. The calm confidence, authority, and capability within were no longer stifled by the inner critic. She discovered these truths as natural emanations of her powerful presence, which relaxed every aspect of her being. Her beauty now radiated from within, a lightness that emanated as she rediscovered the courage and trust to experience another perfect day, living the life she IS and the life she so masterfully created too.