Ah, beauty. What a touchy subject! It’s all around us, it’s in the eye of the beholder, of course. But in a world that values perfection so greatly, it’s often hard to find your own beauty without comparing and judging. Here are a few inspirational words on the topic:

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our hearts are drunk with a beauty our eyes could never see.  ~George W. Russell

I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.  ~Author Unknown

By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower.  ~Rabindrath Tagore

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.  ~Kahlil Gibran

Against Him those women sin who torment their skin with potions, stain their cheeks with rouge and extend the line of their eyes with black coloring.  Doubtless they are dissatisfied with God’s plastic skill.  In their own persons they convict and censure the Artificer of all things.  ~Tertullian

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.  ~Ninon de L’Enclos

Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.  ~Martin Buxbaum

Tell them dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then beauty is its own excuse for being
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Rhodora”

It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.  ~Leo Tolstoy

Beauty comes in all sizes, not just size 5.  ~Roseanne Barr

I don’t like standard beauty - there is no beauty without strangeness.  ~Karl Lagerfeld

Here at Only Positive News, we want to create in our readers a more positive outlook organically. Surprisingly that can come about in some seemingly inauthentic ways. It’s an outside-in approach to positivity, often referred to as “fake it until you make it.”

Here’s an excerpt from a great article that scientifically proves you can make a difference simply by playing a role of happiness:

If social psychologists have proven anything during the last 30 years, they have proven that the actions we take leave a residue inside us. Every time we act, we amplify the underlying idea or tendency behind it. Most people presume the reverse: that our traits and attitudes affect our behavior. While this is true to a certain extent (though less so than commonly supposed), it is also true that our traits and attitudes follow our behavior. We are as likely to act ourselves into a new way of thinking as to think ourselves into a new way of acting.

There is a practical moral here for us all. Do we wish to change ourselves in some important way? Perhaps boost our self-esteem? Become more optimistic and socially assertive? Well, a potent strategy is to get up and start doing that very thing. Don’t worry that you don’t feel like it. Fake it. Pretend self-esteem. Feign optimism. Simulate outgoingness.

In experiments, people have been asked to write essays or present themselves to an interviewer in either self-enhancing or selfdeprecating ways. Those who act as if they are exceptionally intelligent, caring, and sensitive people later express higher self-esteem when privately describing themselves to a different researcher. This saying-becomes-believing effect is harnessed by therapy techniques (such as behavior therapy, rational-emotive therapy, and cognitive therapy), each of which prods the clients into practicing more positive talk and behavior.

Yes, telling people to act or talk positively sounds like telling people to be phony. But, as usually happens when we step into some new role–perhaps our first days “playing” parent, salesperson, or teacher–an amazing thing happens: The phoniness gradually subsides. We notice that our uncomfortable sense of being a parent, for instance, no longer feels forced. The new role–and the new behaviors and accompanying attitudes–have begun to fit us as comfortably as an old pair of blue jeans.

The moral: Going through the motions can trigger the emotions. Surely you’ve noticed. You’re in a testy mood, but when the phone rings you feign cheer while talking to a friend. Strangely, after hanging up, you no longer feel so grumpy. Such is the value of social occasions–they impel us to behave as if we were happy, which in fact helps free us from our unhappiness.

Granted, we can’t expect ourselves to become more upbeat and socially confident overnight. But rather than limply resign ourselves to our current traits and emotions, we can stretch ourselves, step by step. Rather than waiting until we feel like making those calls or reaching out to that person, we can begin. If we are too anxious, modest, or indifferent, we can pretend, trusting that before long the pretense will diminish as our actions ignite a spark inside–the spark that will lead to happiness.

Source: PreventDisease.com

I heard a sermon years ago where the priest encouraged us to do one quiet, thankless act a day - one you didn’t tell anyone about, one you didn’t overly celebrate - just an act you performed quietly, humbly.

This isn’t as easy as one would think. Most of us want notice for the ways in which we contribute. We want to pat ourselves on the back for our act. None of this is bad per se, but there is a higher spiritual place one can attain by keeping the act to ourselves and being quiet, even to ourselves, about it.

What kind of acts? It could be something as seemingly small as a smile to someone who needs it, cleaning up a park or beach nearby, petting a lonely dog, playing with a child, calling a loved one you haven’t spoken to in a while. Or perhaps its time to look into some volunteer services in your area. (Many of us want to volunteer but something always gets in the way, doesn’t it?)

Give. Be quiet. Be humble in the face of your own act.

It’s hard to let go of hurt feelings. Or a broken heart. Or words unspoken.

It’s hard to let go of a loved one who may be ill or just may need to be removed from your life for a while.

Our minds love to grasp, to control. Letting go often feels very counter-intuitive. It’s almost as if we think the more we mull over something, the more likely an answer will arise.

Often, fortunately or unfortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth.

You’ve heard the expression, “A watched pot never boils”? The same holds true with any idea or a feeling we hold too dear.

Change often occurs when we allow ourselves to genuinely let go of something or someone. Why? Perhaps its an energetic issue: when we can release our entrenched thoughts, we allow some room for growth or change. We also give our minds and spirits a rest so we can come up with more productive  solutions down the road.

Allow yourself to give SPACE to your problems and trust that they’ll play out just the way they should.

If there’s a person or a thought that you seem to be mulling over too much, take a break. Send it away on a imaginary trip. Let it fix itself, without your input.

Instead, relax, breathe and remember that you exist on this planet now - and some problems are beyond our control. While that might seem tough to hear for the control freaks out there, there’s actually lots of freedom in that thought: freedom for your mind and spirit.

Let go and let god, whoever your god may be.

Let your problems breathe.

Let yourself breathe.

And don’t try to fix it all.

Forgiveness is more than just an action or a concept. We all know how powerful it feels when you let go of the anger or attachment of pain when we’ve been hurt by someone’s actions. A higher love takes us over. A deep sense of relief is felt.

But did you know that there are some very practical aspects to forgiveness as well?

According to the Mayo Clinic, here are some other perks to genuinely forgiving and letting go:

Researchers have recently become interested in studying the effects of being unforgiving and being forgiving. Evidence is mounting that holding on to grudges and bitterness results in long-term health problems. Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous benefits, including:

• Lower blood pressure
• Stress reduction
• Less hostility
• Better anger management skills
• Lower heart rate
• Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
• Fewer depression symptoms
• Fewer anxiety symptoms
• Reduction in chronic pain
• More friendships
• Healthier relationships
• Greater religious or spiritual well-being
• Improved psychological well-being

Most of us are painfully unaware of our bodies…unless there’s something wrong with them. We don’t realize that our body holds a tremendous amount of power. The way you use it sends out subtle cues to all those around you. If you are walking around, slumped shoulders, head down, eyes cast to the ground, you may not be sending the most positive messages to the world.

This is a real “outside in” approach. It has nothing to do with The Secret or New Age philosophies. Changing your physicality is a simple, practical method that can make some very direct changes to your life.

First, take a good, hard look in front of the mirror. Don’t impose any adjustments. Look at yourself “as is.” What impressions does your physicality send? Closed off? Sad? Receptive?

Then make some minor adjustments; nothing too much. Just some subtle changes. Pull your shoulder back a little more. Open up your chest. Open your throat area (an area we can often close off without noticing.) Take a deep breath. Center and ground yourself.

These steps may seem minor but they’re not at all. Your body is intricately tied to your psyche. This has been known for century upon century. But all this time in front of a computer takes you away from yourself, on a very core level.

Luckily simple changes can make a big difference.

Today, hold you head up. Open your chest and your throat area. Feel the vulnerability and conversely, the strength.

Today, be in your body.

This story is so inspirational, positive and ongoing that it deserves a revisit from Only Positive News.

There are over 1 billion homeless people existing on this planet. The Homeless World Cup was established to put an end to this prevalent problem and to also showcase the skills of people who are often too busy struggling to survive. If you think this is a small, grassroots effort, think again.

This event has taken the world by storm. The first tournament began in Graz in 2003 with 17 national teams. At the 5th Homeless World Cup in Copenhagen in the summer of this year, 48 nations, 500 players were brought together for a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country. Melbourne is the host city for the upcoming tournament from 1-7 December 2008.

In preparation, a new Australian team was announced this week to compete. This is the first time a dedicated women’s competition will be held in the history of the Homeless World Cup.

“Apart from coming to Melbourne to represent my country, getting selected to be the Captain of the Women’s team is probably the best thing to have ever happened to me,” Toni Whelan had to say. Whelan was awarded Best Female Player of the 2008 National Street Soccer Championships as well.

Says founder Mel Young:

“The Homeless World Cup has demonstrated the power of sport to change lives, to change the world. The sixth Homeless World Cup in Melbourne is the pinnacle of the year round work by grass-roots football programs in 56 nations, which bring together over 30,000 players for training, to rebuild their lives and communities.

“The Homeless World Cup is growing fast, traveling to the far corners of the globe to engage people who are homeless, to change hearts and minds, and to pioneer imaginative solutions to address this key global issue.”

Australia’s Street Matildas take Uganda’s victory in their stride after their Homeless World Cup match at Federation Square yesterday. Photo: Penny Stephens

Pat McCormick was a four-time gold medallist in diving.? In 1984, Peter Ubberoff began sending his Olympic organizing committee members, which Pat was a part of, to local schools and corporations to speak.? Pat’s first speech was at Windling Elementary in El Puente, CA.? Afterwards, one of the teachers came to her and asked if she could help out any of the children in the school.? Pat began volunteering two mornings per week at the elementary school and began refining her process.? Pat focuses on 3 key attributes in the students: You have to Work, You have to Learn and You have to Surround Yourself with Winners.? Soon after Pat began volunteering there was a dramatic increase in better grades and kids staying in school.?

Today, Pat volunteers at the Workman High School in East LA.? These students are “at-risk” students who are struggling to graduate from high school.? Pat has been able to encourage them to stop joining gangs and stop using drugs.? Pat says that her passion of excellence comes from hardships of her own.? “My father died on skid row, and that’s the motivation I have.? I want to let everyone know if you have a dream and you believe it, you will find a way.? You have to surround yourself with winners, you have to work,” says Pat.? Today, several students have followed Pat’s guidance and have gone for the gold of high school graduation.

Whether you’re down in the dumps because of recent events in your life or you just feel like you need to do something different to change the way you think about yourself (and in turn how others view you) here are some habits everyone should adopt to boost their self esteem and confidence.

* Start a “Pick-Me-Up” File:? Get a box and fill it with all sorts of things that make you feel good about yourself.? Receipts from purchases that you saved long and hard for or that were rewards for meeting a goal, a checklist that you completed, pictures of yourself accomplishing great things (such as making your kids laugh or the first day of your new job).? Use this box as a something you can go to and sort through when you need? a “pick-me-up” as a reminder of all the great things you do in your life!

* Make it a habit to encourage yourself.? Positive thoughts lead to more? positive thoughts and actions which will help you feel? better about your self.?

* Look for the good in other people.? Yes, I know, you’re reading this to find out ways to look for the good in yourself, but to do so you’ll need to be more positive all around.? Looking for the positive in other people will help you have a more positive outlook on life in general which will naturally permeate to how you view yourself? as well.

Try all three at once or do one at a time.? Either way, even if you make one small change in your life today, you’re on your way to becoming a more confident person.