PUBLISHER ' S NOTE
Focus On Your Beauty , Not Your Face
Getting older is especially difficult for women . So many of us are stuck with the image of how our faces and bodies looked when we were 18 ; that fresh , effortless glow - which incidentally , at the time , we were so critical of – that was part of the gift of youth and inexperience . The glow of having yet to experience life and all it would bring : marriage , children , hectic careers , new careers , love , loss , divorce , and so much more .
Our faces start to show the wisdom of our journeys , and that can be uncomfortable . We look in the mirror every day , noticing the dark circles under our eyes , the little lines that appear to have come from nowhere , the slightly sagging cheeks , and we panic .
A month ago , I was looking in the mirror while chatting with my sister , then blurted out that the lines around my nose were deepening . It was one of many self-critical moments that have happened in recent months , as I become more aware of the fact that at 40 , I am now older than a whole lot of people .
My ever-wise sister , who is 10 years younger than I am , looked at me and said , “ You need to stop focusing on your face , and start focusing on your beauty .” Wow . Time stood still as I absorbed her words . I had my “ aha moment .” Her words were the beginning of my freedom from the fight to hold onto my youth . I have thought about those words many times since then . I have made a commitment to love myself more - as I am . I have made a commitment to look at myself as a whole ; to celebrate life ; to embrace the changes happening not only in my body , but in my life .
I have made a decision to focus on my inner and outer beauty because I really don ’ t have a choice . This is the way I was created , and this is what I have to work with as I grow older . So here I am , falling in love with the second half of my life .
As you go on , I encourage all of you to focus on your beauty as a whole , your uniqueness , and not the details on your face . Embrace your spring glow as it comes from deep within you .
Sincerely ,
Cillah Hall Founder and Publisher chall @ gazellestl . com
8 GAZELLE STL