1. Stop being insecure

Easier said than done, we know. But fact is that being insecure and doubting yourself at every instance has a terribly damaging effect on your self-perception. Another fact is also that everybody in the whole wide world feels insecure from time to time. It is impossible to avoid making mistakes or bad calls. What is really important is whether or not you will accept that you are not perfect and unable to know everything all the time. Realizing this, you will be able to be less insecure and dare to be whoever you want.

2. Building self-confidence

This can be achieved in many ways. Self-confidence is strongly linked to our self image and must be at a stable high for us to feel good about ourselves. All of these tips will result in higher selfconfidence. Use them as a step by step guide or make your pick. Either way to reach the goal of loving yourself.

3. Accepting who you are

Acceptance is not the same thing as not growing as a person. However, you must be able to look yourself in the mirror without shuddering. You are who you are and change is just around the corner. But before you can change you need to know what it is that needs changing.

4. Not being your worst critic

Respect. It’s all about respect and knowing yourself. Always assuming you are the one that is wrong and have grasped a situation incorrectly will only make you doubt yourself and your ability to independently make good decisions and choices. Knowing when you are wrong and admitting it to yourself as well as to other is only healthy. It is when you stop trusting yourself you’re in trouble.

5. Being able to take criticism and not taking what other people think of you as a threat

If external forces easily shake you into to doubting yourself you are in a fragile state. People around you, best friends and worst enemies, will always criticize your opinions and values. But this is rarely done to hurt you and more as a sign of interest. Taking criticism or questioning from other as a threat is a survival instinct. But knowing that in the end it only matter what you think, should make it a little bit less threatening. What other people think is not a threat but rather an exchange of opinions. You do not have to change your mind or opinion just because it isn’t shared by others.

6. Finding personal characteristics that you are proud of

It does not have to be much but finding at least one thing that you like about yourself and embracing it is a start. Are you funny, nice to people, humble, friendly etc? This way you will enhance what is unique about you and coming one step closer to accepting the fact that you are beautiful.

7. Thinking that you are in at least one way better than others

Comparing ourselves with others is a hard thing to avoid. And to take a shortcut here a good idea is to actually put yourselves above the people you compare yourself with. Don’t worry, they probably do it as well. Knowing in your mind that you posses skills or talents that the others do not will help you to relax and be yourself.

8. Thinking that you are better than others in a humble and not bully kind of a way

However, this can easily transcend into the creation of qualities resembling people openly thinking their better than others. Limit this tip as a mental exercise because bragging is truly one of man worst traits. It will only convince so many people. Not including yourself.

9. Create good routines

The perception of a cool and likable character today amongst younger people is more than often based on how “free” you are from responsibility, routines and other element considers to a be part of the “adult” life. Eating good, exercising regularly, planning ahead are all good things that will lead to the feeling of being in control of your life. When many people will think you are boring and boxed in your routines, they are simple intimidated and envious that you are not dependent on blurry nights at some random clubs to feel good about yourself. Routines such as these will also show direct result on your energy and figure. And although we do not like to think of physical appearance as the main key to feeling beautiful – it is only to realize that we are all influenced by our western view on beauty.

10. Doing all of these things by yourself

Reassurance, verification and encouragements from family and friends can be considered a bonus at most. Relying on others to define who you will merely give you an excuse to really find out yourself.

Steven Pinker earlier this year released his book calle The Blank Slate where he challenges prior beliefs that man is born without any distinctions and uniqueness. A very interesting issue indeed as it easily crosses over to the domain of beauty. If we would follow the thought that claims that all of us are born without any kind of character and are shaped by culture, society, upbringing and social elements – this strongly encourages the view on all humans formed by others rather than themselves.

Pinker however suggests that we come to this world already bearing unique talents and traits. Every person on this planet is hence unique and thus beautiful in his/her own way. And still most of us still strive towards a more general perception of beauty. A stereotype enforced by the beauty industry, endorsed by super models and sold in comsetic stores all over the world.

Uniqueness is Beauty

Finding you inner uniqueness, what you were born with, will allow you to discover what makes you beautiful. Simple as that. Well, just because we were all born with it does not even half of us knows what it is. People spend lifetimes searching for it without completely finding it.

One simple advice to find your inner uniqueness is to ask your parents. Two people who’ve had the chance to observe you through out your birth, childhood and growth. If anybody knows what makes you unique it’s your blood relations.

When a common belief is that cosmetics and make-up are shallow tools to lay attention only on outer beauty and vanity, we like to claim otherwise. To enhance the eyes is like opening the window, rip off the curtains and let everyone see how beautiful you are. Eye-liner is thus our choice of make-up. And perhaps some lipstick to caress the words, thoughts and ideas that are comming out of your mouth. So, for the believers of make-up to only be for Paris Hiltons and Super Models, eye-liner and lipstick can be considered a tool rather to bring out the inner beauty in you than hide behind a mask.

If you have any thought you want to share, please comment or send me an email at thebeast@beautybythebeast.com.

How come we are so obsessed in judging and gasping about a perfect stranger’s physical condition? Why aren’t people with known actor, music and entertainment achievements celebrated for their careers rather than how they look? What makes celebrities so inhuman that we treat them like they lack any kind of emtions?

For this post I have no answer and I would love to hear some of your opinions about our western celebrity culture!

It recently hit me that most of us act and confront conflicts much like we’ve always done during our upbringing and fights we’ve had within our families. When we later go on to form new ties, realtionships and hopefully families that behaviorial pattern often remains.

Now, there nothing strange about that. Rather self-explanatory actually. But it is interesting how we tackle conflicts within new relationsships like we’ve done when we’ve argued with our fathers, mothers or siblings. Wouldn’t it be more logical if we found new ways of dealing with disagreements and conflicts that happens in newer relationships rather than apply the same old conflict management methods?

How our personlities develops and our individual character takes shape are a direct result of our upbringing.  That’s the way it is for us humans. The way you solved conflicts and disagreements in the family when you grew is hence going to affect the way you handle conflicts for the rest of your life. With new boy -or girlfriends, husbands, wifes, daughters, sons, friends. From a more romantic approach this is perhaps the strongest way of remembering our history and past relationships.

But, like I said earlier, what does family really got to do with it?  In order to maintain a healthy relationship and reaching beauty here’s a tip from the Beast:

People are different and obviously affected by prior engagements with other people. Recognize that but at the same time try to reach a individual platform for the relationship in question to stand on its own legs. Independent from earlier conflict management methods and experiences. When in a disagreement or fight with non-relative try to base the outcome and solution on the premises that exist between you and your partner.

Good luck!