We Love Rebels

There are three guiding components of See Beautiful:

1. See Beautiful in yourself.

2. See Beautiful in others.

3. Create more beautiful in the world.

We believe that this starts with you - and the value you place on your self-worth. To be able to see beautiful in others, and create more beautiful in the world, you have to begin by seeing beautiful in yourself. When you do this, you take a step forward. You actually help fight the battle against societies push to profit from your self-doubt.

Once you tap into the beautiful rebel in you, you cannot help but want to bring out the rebel in others and there is a desperate need for more of that "we rise by lifting others" spirit in our world. We rise, we move forward, and alas, we create more beautiful together. 

I love this quote by Rupi Kaur, because it captures the power of the resounding connecting between seeing beautiful and creating beautiful. It comes from staring at ourselves and those around us and as we recognize this incredible resiliency and the beauty from others, we move forward - we create beautiful. We can do a little alone - surely you can do your part, but oh, striking one, how much more we can do together as well. 

Thank you for being part of this See Beautiful Community. 

I Fell Off the Wagon...

...the Blogging Wagon, that is. It is really easy, too easy really, to get sucked into the quick-picture-sharing of social media and pretend that the words that back up the images you've created don't matter.

Your. Words. Matter.

A lot has been happening with See Beautiful lately and while I am living it, I can't expect others to grasp this daily life and the long term goals without sharing it. So, I didn't really fall off the wagon, I stepped off of it and into the grass and dug into creating beautiful. Here's some of what we're doing, and how you can join us, to create beautiful as part of our community:

In a few weeks, See Beautiful will come to you from Africa. We're headed overseas with Kula Project to do some pretty incredible things; what's even more thrilling is that you can be a part of this journey. You can help send children to school and improve play therapy for children at the New Hope Center in Eastern Congo, provide coffee trees for 48 women in Rwanda, and while I'm away, you can do something spectacular in your own backyard by providing 250 diapers to a family in needs all with the swipe of a few keys on your keyboard.  There is no shortage of beautiful in this world, but there is infinite beauty still left to create. Thank you for all you do to make See Beautiful such an incredible Community of people connected by a common thread to make this world a better place.

GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: The New Hope Center, with whom we've worked for the past three years, is in need of new/gently used soccer balls for their play therapy with children. If you'd like to donate a soccer ball for us to hand-deliver, please let us know!  Additionally, we send and keep 53 children in school each month. To send a child to school, simply purchase any of our products benefiting the "New Hope" Collection. You receive a beautiful product, children receive new hope.

KAYONZA, RWANDA: We are so proud to support Kula Project in raising $3,000 to provide (get ready for this beautiful) 1,000 coffee trees for 48 women to create sustainable income to provide an education for their children. The female farmers have named their group, "Fight to Live." They are creating beautiful every day and you can provide them with the very coffee trees that will keep their fight alive. Shop our "Fight to Live" Collection and provide the very coffee trees we get to plant alongside these 48 beautiful women in October.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: One in 3 parents must choose between purchasing food or diapers for their family. Our new See Beautiful Giving Initiative to bring a truckload of diapers (literally, a GIANT truckload with 300,000 diapers) is special because we have partnered with an incredible non-profit, Helping Mamas, that is supporting families in need, right here in our home-state of Georgia.  With every purchase of our special edition "Stronger Together" bracelet (or any of our products where you select "Helping Mamas") you will provide a family with a YEARLONG supply of diapers (250 diapers)!

See Beautiful Girl of the Month: Elizabeth Grantham

Elizabeth Grantham is beautiful. She celebrates it. She creates it. She lives it. Growing beautiful, that's what she does.

At the age of eight, Elizabeth transformed the way she looked at the world with a simply wondering. It was that wondering that shifted the way she saw and created beautiful in the world. It was that question that's led us to being in awe and completely inspired by the work she's doing in the world. Nominated by her month, we quickly learned what a perfect See Beautiful Girl of the Month Elizabeth is. Now 11, she owns the title every day!

Elizabeth is an inspiration to her family, community, and a community thousands of miles away. She passes on this beauty by the work she does in her non-profit and her promotion of another family member's non-profit.

In a few short years, Elizabeth has created a beautiful life - not only for herself - but for others. It is a gift for us all. Thank you, Elizabeth. We are honored to celebrate you as our See Beautiful Girl of the month!

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See Beautiful Girl of the Month: ELIZABETH GRANTHAM

Elizabeth Grantham. Shared with permission.

                                                                                                      Written by Elizabeth Grantham

Have you ever had a moment in your life that changed the way you saw everything? When I was 8 years old, my sister and I were in the car with my mom when we passed a lady holding a sign that read “please help.” My mom explained that she was homeless which of course led to more questions, such as, “what is homeless?”  When we learned that there were people that actually didn’t have a place to call home and were hungry, we knew we had to help.

Image shared with permission by Elizabeth Grantham

Initially we came up with funny ideas like throwing water bottles out the window with dollar bills attached.  But then a birthday gift of beads gave us the perfect solution.  We could make jewelry, sell it, and give money to those that were without basic needs.  And Beads of Good was born, a non-profit group helping those without basic needs.

Image shared with permission from Elizabeth Grantham.

Since then, I celebrated my 11th birthday and several other moments have greatly impacted me and challenged me to have a deeper compassion for those in difficult circumstances.  The first impacting moment occurred when I got an email from one of the orphans that my family sponsors in Zimbabwe.  We have two sisters there, Grace and Precious.  Precious wrote a note to me and told me that she has HIV Aids.  All I could do was cry.  It made me so mad because I felt helpless to make things right.  Second, we were presented with an opportunity to help young women in Nigeria that are being sold as child brides to care for their families and are victims of trafficking and gender-based violence.

Image shared with permission by Elizabeth Grantham.

Both of these experiences left me heartbroken.  Every morning now I wake up thinking about my sister in Africa with HIV Aids and the young girls in Nigeria that are being robbed of their childhood.  This has all made me realize the importance of caring for the world’s most vulnerable to disease and acts of violence—children and women in poverty and without basic needs or a family to care for them.

Although I have become aware of so much pain—homelessness, hunger, disease, violence—I have been challenged with the opportunity to BE beautiful for girls in Africa.  I have been challenged to act on behalf of those that have no voice, the vulnerable, even the forgotten.

Elizabeth (11), Bailey (2), Allison (8) - Image shared with permission.

We live in a world that tells young girls they are an item to be possessed. My sister and I are not okay with that message!  I think all girls everywhere should be seen for what they have to offer society.  They should be seen for who they are.  They are creative, strong, nurturing, musical, artistic, emotional, graceful, and loved by God.  They are beautiful.  And they can choose to make everything beautiful around them.

Allison and Elizabeth "hanging out" and seeing beautiful!

Linked to blog

So, we chose to step up and take action.  Now Beads of Good has partnered with an organization in Nigeria to provide an artisan vocation for young women that are rescued from becoming child brides or victims of trafficking.  They will be handcrafting beautiful Ankara fabric beads that will become a source of income and allow them to attend high school.  We will soon be selling our designs to advance the dreams of young women in Nigeria!  Visit us at www.beadsofgood.wordpress.com.

Be beautiful,
 Elizabeth

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH AND CELEBRATE HER BEAUTY:
- BLOG
- DONATE

See Beautiful Woman of the Month: LORI SMITH

See Beautiful Woman of the Month: LORI SMITH

Beautifully created by Lori Smith. Shared with permission.

 

Lori Smith is beautiful. She radiates it. She creates it (literally, she draws it). She celebrates it. She lives it. Owning beautiful, that's what she does.

Lori's beauty reverberates from her teaching, writing, speaking, drawing, painting, creating, relationships, giving, laughter, love, and presence. Visit Lori's website, and you'll immediately see what we mean. Her beautiful creations (ahem, including OUR incredible See Beautiful t-shirt designs) are capable of moving another to LITERALLY see beautiful. Her art has the ability to move you to think and smile and give and empower. Lori shares her art with others and that willingness to share is a gift that can move us all forward, while nudging us gently to reflect as well.

As a teacher, she creates beautiful in the classroom with young children too.  We know. We've seen her in action. She is an inspiration to so many. Her beauty radiates. She passes on this beauty by sharing it and that's making the world a better place every day.

Lori's presence makes a room brighter. Her ability to be a brilliant listener with thoughtful advice is the type that immediately makes you feel welcomed and valued. What an asset for this world.

Lori is an artist at heart and at life and she's created a beautiful one. What's even more special is that she shares it with the world. It's is a gift for us all. Thank you, Lori. Thank you so much.

  

The following is written by Lori Smith

Since a young child I have been creative and “artsy”. I always wanted to create my own cards and gifts because I felt like store-bought gifts did an inadequate job of expressing my feelings (and the fact that I was not exactly financially independent may have had something to do with it). I loved school projects that would give me an excuse to pull out my markers, glue, glitter, and interpret what I had learned in my own unique way.  I would beg my mother for different craft kits and art supplies every time we would step into a crafts store and would get sudden urges to create when sitting around the house for too long. I would save bottles, shoe boxes, paper towel rolls and any other “trash” I thought I could use to create something beautiful. I still do that, actually.  I guess I see the potential beauty in those things.

Beautifully created by Lori Smith. Shared with permission.

Whether it is objects, nature, or people, I pride myself with being able to see the beauty around me and art has definitely been a major cause of that. When I paint, I am able to take what I physically see in the world and depict those things/people as I see them in my mind. I am blessed with the ability to not only create beauty, but expose what I believe to be the true beauty that some may not see. I use my paintbrush to not only express myself, but show others the beauty I see in the world; the beauty that’s all around us; we just have to take the time to notice it.

Beautifully created by Lori Smith. Shared with permission.

I love art because there is no single way to create it. There is no right or wrong. What one person may consider a piece of art may not be art to the next person, but that piece is no less art than it was when it was created. People, nature, the world around us are the same. Just because someone does not have the face or body of a Victoria’s Secret model does not mean they are not beautiful and it truly bothers me that advertisements and society have tried to define beauty as looking a certain way, being a certain weight, having certain material things, etc. We were all created individually and each of us is unique. That, alone, makes us beautiful; knowing that I am the only me and you are the only you.

Beautifully created by Lori Smith. Shared with permission.

I hope this message is not only conveyed through my artwork, but in the classroom as well.  Having just graduated from Georgia State University, with a degree in Early Childhood Education, I plan to instill the message of seeing beautiful into the students I will teach. I see beauty in children and hope to help them see the beauty in themselves. I will have a classroom that will empower children and encourage them to construct their own knowledge and definition of what beauty really is, discrediting society’s definition. I definitely plan to incorporate art and allow my students to explore it and create for themselves.

Beautifully created by Lori Smith. Shared with permission.

I see beauty through art and children and by combining the two; I strive to create even more beauty throughout the world.

Beautifully created by Lori Smith. Shared with permission.

CONNECT WITH LORI SMITH AND CELEBRATE HER BEAUTY:

• WEBSITE and INSTAGRAM

 

See Beautiful Film of the Month: Sound of Tears

Sound of Tears - A Short Canadian Film about Honor Based Violence

Donate to the film HERE. Learn more HERE.

Sound of Tears is a powerful film that will have a strong impact on the lives of  women world-wide. It will shine a strong and powerful spotlight on the subject of honor crimes, a despicable practice whereby family members who feel their honor has been besmirched punish those, usually women, who have dared to do things that range from marrying the wrong man to refusing to wear traditional garb. The punishment is often murder. The story, written by actress and director Dorothy A. Atabong is powerful and moving and is one no viewer will ever forget. This film will be shown at film festivals, on television and will be available in libraries and schools, hopefully all around the world. Women everywhere will gain knowledge of this practice, will engage in dialogue and will hopefully act to put a stop to these crimes. Sound of Tears requires funds for its post production processes. Women can open the eyes of the world with their donations to this ground breaking film.

See Beautiful Family of Givers

Meet the Muller Family!

We're spicing things up in an awesome way here at See Beautiful. We've selected an amazing "See Beautiful Family" to support and YOU can be a part! Here's the deal: 1) The Muller Family Mom, April, (read about their awesomeness below) is heading on a mission trip. 2) We want to support her and help alleviate the financial burden.

Here's how YOU can be a part of support her travel: 
      1) Buy a See Beautiful bracelet;
     2) IMPORTANT: During the check out process write "For the Muller Family"
     3) You'll receive a See Beautiful bracelet that we'll personally stamp "Zambia" in the cuff of. It's a wonderful reminder that there is so much beautiful in the Zambia and adoption. It can also serve as a perfect reminder for us all to see beautiful, knowing you helped support a beautiful act of selfless giving.

WHAT WE DO: We'll donate $10 out of every $15 bracelet sale to the Muller Family to help fund April's mission trip! Whew-whoo!

So, if you’re willing to spend a few dollars to help the Muller Family see beautiful (and receive a beautiful reminder of your giving too), please visit our PRODUCTS page and remember to tell them you bought a bracelet for the “MULLER FAMILY” in the “special instructions” section at check out.

Thank you all for supporting the Muller Family!

April Muller. Photo used with permission.

By April Muller:


"But if a person has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need and that person doesn't care-how can the love of God remain in him? Little children, let's not love with words or speech but with action and truth." 1 John 3:17-18

See beautiful means loving each other in a real and tangible way and setting that example for my children to follow.

My friend is living in Ndola, Zambia at an orphanage for the next few months in order to complete the adoption process for her daughter. She has invited friends to come stay with her while she is there. I jumped at the opportunity before I knew much about it. All I knew was that I would be staying at the orphanage and helping wherever there was need.

Since that moment of being invited to go and answering with an enthusiastic "yes" I have found more reasons to go, more confirmation that I should go. But the reasons that stand out the most are that we are called to love our neighbors and care for orphans and I want this to be an example for my children. It's never enough to just tell our children how they ought to live and its always enough to live it and encourage them to follow in those footsteps.

See Beautiful Book of the Month: Watch Her Thrive

About a year ago I was invited to write for the book Watch Her Thrive …an amazing collaboration of stories collected by my friend Kimberly Riggins, founder and chief initiator of The Watch Her Thrive Project: an organization build to help women who have suffered from rape and domestic abuse get back on their feet.

                                         

I decided to take part in this project for two reasons: 1) All the proceeds of this book will be going to Women for Women International; and 2) I believe we are all world changers. This book is a wonderful tribute to those who have overcome obstacles and it is a testament that with hope, courage and strength, we all find more beautiful in ourselves and create more beauty in the world. 

Over the course of eighty-three essays, readers will find insight, stories, tips, and heartfelt emotions from unique women who have already found their own power, including best-selling authors, entrepreneurs making change in their industries, and visionaries whose missions revolve around serving.
 

Watch Her Thrive is an enlightening journey that inspires change. This collection of essays offers women the emotional and mental sustenance to survive the brutal moments that can distract them from the beautiful journey of life.

Let's create more beautiful together. Let's watch ALL thrive!

Happy seeing beautiful,

Lydia, President of +See Beautiful 

P.S. Share the love…Will you help us spread the word about Watch Her Thrive?

(Here’s a done-for-you Click to Tweet that you can simply link to: http://clicktotweet.com/5f0wV— or use ClicktoTweet.com to create your own.)

See Beautiful Woman of the Month: Christina Genth Smith

Christina Genth Smith is beautiful. She radiates it. She creates it. She celebrates it. She lives it. Creating beautiful, that's what

She creates beautiful for others to enjoy through her paintings (take one look at our See Beautiful logo, designed by Christina, and you'll instantly know what we mean. Oh, want more? See our See Beautiful onesie designs and you'll flip for her beautiful "Grow Beautiful" design!). Visit her on the web and we're sure that the first picture you see will leave you moved. Her work leaves you seeing beautiful in the best of ways. You can reflect in the images. You can smile in the kindness of her strokes. You can be moved to tears in the beauty and the thoughtfulness she pours into her art that is a gift in any home. Her love of life shines through her images. The warmth and beauty radiating from her paintings wraps its proverbial arms around you. It makes you feel at home.

She creates beautiful for children in the pages of children's books. Her illustrations can be described as whimsical meets stunning meets one-of-a-kind. They make children and adults both, smile.

Now, Christina herself is the artist many of us wish to be more like in life. Her spirit is beautiful and she has the ability to reflect that in her life's work. How amazing for all of us to embrace life with this tenacity, commitment and inspiration.

Christina is an artist at life and she's created a beautiful one. What's even more special is that she shares it with the world. It's is a gift for us all.

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See Beautiful Woman of the Month: CHRISTINA GENTH SMITH

 

  How I See Beautiful

 Written by Christina Genth Smith

 How do I see beautiful? As an artist, nature and animal lover and child of God, I see beautiful in a couple different ways: in the hearts of people, the joy of pets, the majesty of His creation, and most powerfully in the love of Jesus!

I see beautiful in the hearts of people when we choose to show LOVE in this broken world, JOY in adversity, PEACE amongst disagreement, PATIENCE even with frustration, KINDNESS where there is selfishness, GOODNESS in the face of wickedness, GENTLENESS over hastiness, FAITHFULNESS through hardships and SELF-CONTROL in our weaknesses.

I also see beautiful in the unconditional love and acceptance of pets, specifically dogs. They some how love us to the moon and back no matter what we say, do, or look like to them. I’ve heard it said, “You can look horrible, but a dog will look at you like you’re the most beautiful human being ever.”  Seems as though dogs can see nothing but beautiful!

I see true unrivaled beauty all throughout God’s creation from sunsets, to mountains, to canyons, rivers and oceans and all the amazing different wildlife species and creatures, leaving me wonderstruck. The works of His hands inspire me to emulate both His beauty inwardly in my heart as well as outwardly on my canvases when I am painting. Because of this, I view painting as a beautiful act of worship to God for these magnificent gifts surrounding us.  

When I see beautiful I see God. When I see God I see love. When I think about love I am reminded of what Jesus did for you and me…who takes away our ugly sins and restores us back to BEAUTIFUL! Heavenly Father, you are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing your beautiful with us.

 “We love because He first loved us.”  -1 John 4:19

"Love is kind…" -1 Corinthians 13:4; 12x16; Sold

"Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10; 30x48; Sold

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." -John 10:27; 24x48; Sold

CONNECT WITH ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR CHRISTINA GENTH SMITH AND CELEBRATE HER BEAUTY:

• Visit her beautiful website HERE.
• Connect with her on Facebook HERE.
• Tweet with her HERE.

Giraffes Can't Dance...Or Can They?

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae

Like Gerald the giraffe, we all have our insecurities. We may feel different or inadequate at times. Author, Giles Andrae, along with the help of talented illustrator, Guy Parker-Rees use a giraffe who doubts his dancing abilities and a wise cricket to entertain and remind children that "sometimes when you're different, you just need a different song."

Giraffes Can't Dance is an inspiring book for all ages. It shows children that the word "Can't" is a relative term. Who's to say you can't dance? Taking a lesson from Gerald, "We can all dance when we find music that we love." It's an important lesson adults can learn too. For some reason as we grow older we tell ourselves that our own style isn't the cool thing, when it is. It's the coolest. It's the best. It's the only way, because it's your way.

Who's to say you aren't beautiful?! We are all beautiful and even if, at first, others fail to see your uniqueness, your beauty, it doesn't make that fact any less true. Look at Gerald for instance - when all the other jungle animals laughed and scoffed at Gerald, he ended up finding his own little boogie that everyone wanted to take the lead from him on. Gerald the Giraffe is beautiful. So are you. 

See Beautiful Artist of the Month: Fran Battendieri

Fran Battendieri

Fran Battendieri creates beautiful in so many ways. Her myriad roles include Jewelery designer, children's book illustrator, avid civic and volunteer member, animal lover to her core, and thoughtful, creative, inspiring family member and friend. Fran is always looking to bring more beautiful into others' lives.

She creates beautiful for others to enjoy through her jewelery. Visit her on the web and we're sure that the first picture you see will leave you moved. Her work leaves you seeing beautiful in the best of ways. Her unique creations are one of a kind and made by hand. So much thought and expert-craft goes into every piece. Her love of life shines through her images.

She creates beautiful for children in the pages of children's books (coming soon). Her illustrations can be described as jaw-dropping, moving, and inviting.

Now, Fran herself is the artist many of us wish to be more like in life. Her spirit is beautiful and she has the ability to reflect that in her life's work. How amazing for all of us to embrace life with this tenacity, commitment and inspiration.

Fran is an artist at life and she's created a beautiful one. What's even more special is that she shares it with the world. It's is a gift for us all.

Visit her beautiful website HERE.

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Are you looking for a for a tangible reminder to see beautiful, or know someone who needs one? Check out our See Beautiful™ products (and feel good knowing a all proceeds are being donated to The Path Project). Learn more HERE.  

See Beautiful Family

The Stephens Family

We're spicing things up in an awesome way here at See Beautiful. We've selected an amazing "See Beautiful Family" to support through their adoption process and YOU can be a part! Here's the deal: 1) The Stephens Family (read about their awesomeness below) is adopting a child from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2) We want to support them and help alleviate the financial burden.

Here's how YOU can be a part of bringing their child home: 
      1) Buy a See Beautiful bracelet;
     2) IMPORTANT: During the check out process write "For the Stephens Family"
     3) You'll receive a See Beautiful bracelet that we'll personally stamp "DRC" in the cuff of. It's a wonderful reminder that there is so much beautiful in the DRC and adoption. It can also serve as a perfect reminder for us all to see beautiful, knowing you helped support a family bring their child home.

WHAT WE DO: We'll donate $10 out of every $15 bracelet sale to the family to help fund their adoption! Whew-whoo!

So, if you’re willing to spend a few dollars to help the Stephens Family see beautiful (and receive a beautiful reminder of your giving too), please visit our PRODUCTS page and remember to tell them you bought a bracelet for the “STEPHENS FAMILY” in the “special instructions” section at check out.

Thank you all for supporting the Stephens Family through this adoption process.

Photo courtesy of the Stephens family.

Photo courtesy of the Stephens family.

Photo courtesy of the Stephens family.

The Stephens' Adoption story, written by Mom, Sarah Stephens:

We are the Stephens Family and we are not new to the journey of adoption!  Adoption has opened countless doors where we have had the privilege to ‘See Beautiful’.  After not being able to have our own children, we looked into adoption.  In June 2008, we brought our two half brothers home from Taiwan.  What a glorious moment! After five years, we are choosing to expand our family through the adoption of a little girl from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  We looked into adopting our third child from Taiwan, as well, but after numerous doors were shut, we felt God leading us to Africa, and then specifically, to the DRC. 

We are early in the journey, but we strive to glorify and worship Jesus Christ through each and every phase.  Through our journey, may others see Christ… may others SEE BEAUTIFUL!

We covet your prayers during this time, as do so many families.  There is nothing about our family that makes us unique!  …just ordinary people with a heart that breaks for adoption and orphans.  Thank you for stopping by and reading just a bit of our story. 

To follow our family or to be a part of our weekly prayer requests, you may join our page on Facebook, ‘Stephens’ Adoption Stats and Support’ at https://www.facebook.com/groups/372344442873878/

 Thank you,

Sarah, Matt, Levi, and Nathaniel Stephens
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Are you looking for a for a tangible reminder to see beautiful, or know someone who needs one? Check out our See Beautiful™ products (and feel good knowing a all proceeds are being donated to The Path Project). Learn more HERE.   

See Beautiful Artist of the Month: Christina Genth Smith

Christina Genth Smith

Creating beautiful, that's what Christina Genth Smith does.

She creates beautiful for others to enjoy through her paintings. Visit her on the web and we're sure that the first picture you see will leave you moved. Her work leaves you seeing beautiful in the best of ways. You can reflect in the images. You can smile in the kindness of her strokes. You can be moved to tears in the beauty of the thoughtfulness she pours into her art that is a gift in any home. Her love of life shines through her images. The warmth and beauty radiating from her paintings wraps its proverbial arms around you. It makes you feel at home.

She creates beautiful for children in the pages of children's books. Her illustrations can be described as whimsical meets stunning meets one-of-a-kind. They make children and adults both, smile.

Now, Christina herself is the artist many of us wish to be more like in life. Her spirit is beautiful and she has the ability to reflect that in her life's work. How amazing for all of us to embrace life with this tenacity, commitment and inspiration.

Christina is an artist at life and she's created a beautiful one. What's even more special is that she shares it with the world. It's is a gift for us all.

Visit her beautiful website HERE.
Connect with her on Facebook HERE.
Tweet with her HERE.

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Are you looking for a for a tangible reminder to see beautiful, or know someone who needs one? Check out our See Beautiful™ products (and feel good knowing a all proceeds are being donated to Girls With Sole). Learn more HERE.

Robbing Yourself of Beautiful

This is our Part II feature of Martha Beck's memoir, Expecting Adam. The first explored the empowerment of stripping off the armor that protects us from conforming in ways that can hinder your ability to be yourself. The armor is really protecting you from nothing and keeping you from yourself. Beck's life experiences that lead her to see beautiful are inspiring. Her accounts of tough decision-making that surrounded her unborn son and the beautiful life he would come to lead are inspiring and raw and moving and real. While reading her book we found several passages so attuned to See Beautiful and our movement that we couldn't have aligned them more perfectly, and in the quote below she invites us to think about how our own cognitive prejudice is robbing you from seeing beautiful.

This is Martha seeing beautiful on a run (after mistaking a piece of cardboard for a rose quartz):

"As I continued my run, it occurred to me that the piece of Styrofoam hadn't changed at all between the time I first saw it, when I was so drawn to its beauty, and the moment I realized what it was, and was disgusted by its ugliness. The only change was inside my head. I had assigned two different labels to that small pink object, and those labels, not the thing itself, had determined my reaction to it. This was enough to make me wonder if many of the things I reviled as ugly might not in fact be beautiful, if I might be robbing myself of beauty with my own cognitive prejudice" (Beck, 2011, p. 322).

This is Martha seeing beautiful in her reflections of the truth:

"Living with Adam, loving Adam, has taught me a lot about the truth. He has taught me to look at things in themselves, not at the value a brutal and often senseless world assigns to them.As Adam's mother I have been able to see quite clearly that he is no less beautiful for being called ugly, no less wise for appearing dull, no less precious for being seen as worthless. And neither am I. Neither are you. Neither is any of us" (Beck, 2011, p. 332).

Neither is any of us. You are beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.

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Visit Martha Beck's website HERE.
Connect with Martha on Facebook HERE. 
Connect with Martha on Twitter HERE.

Beck, M. (2011). Expecting Adam. NY: Three Rivers Press.

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Are you looking for a for a tangible reminder to see beautiful, or know someone who needs one? Check out our See Beautiful™ products (and feel good knowing a all proceeds are being donated to Jacob's Heart). Learn more HERE.

Strip off the Comforting Armor and Go on Naked

 
Martha Beck's memoir, Expecting Adam, moved us in many ways. Her life experiences that lead her to see beautiful were moving. Her accounts of tough decision-making that surrounded her unborn son and the beautiful life he would come to lead are inspiring and raw and moving and real. While reading her book we found several passages so attuned to See Beautiful and our movement that we couldn't have aligned them more perfectly, and in the quote below she invites us to strip off our comfort armor - which could prove to be life saving.

This is Martha seeing beautiful after an operation:

"...there was a concrete message that remained even after the drugs had left my system, and this is - sort of - what it said. It said that the way back to my real environment, the place where my soul was meant to exist, doesn't lie through any set of codes I will ever find outside of myself. I have to look inward. I have to jettison every sorrow, every terror, every misconception, every lie that stands between my conscious mind and what I know in my heart to be true. Instead of clutching around me all the trappings of a 'good' person, a 'successful' person, or even a 'righteous' person, I have to be exactly what I am, and take the horrible chance that I may be rejected for it. I can't get home by cloaking myself in the armor or any system, social, political, or religious. I have to strip off all that comforting armor and go naked"  (Beck, 2011, p. 301).

So what if we did? What if we stripped the armor we feel we need to navigate pop culture's murky waters? Interestingly, armor would get quite heavy to wear wading through sea after sea of expectation. Wouldn't it be freeing, and in the case of carrying armor across a body of water, even life saving to let go of what holds you down and find a lifesaver in yourself? Lifesaving. How beautiful.

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Visit Martha Beck's website HERE.
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Beck, M. (2011). Expecting Adam. NY: Three Rivers Press.

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