The Importance of Renewal

I know that by now you have probably heard dozens of New Year’s resolutions and listened to people talk about a “fresh start”. And more than likely, you have made some resolutions and goals for yourself for 2015. I have not made any goals for myself yet, but the idea of renewing my mind has been on my heart a lot lately. After a hard semester at my University and running countless errands for Christmas, I noticed that I never made time to listen to my heart, realize my emotional needs, and take the time to deal with them. By the time I had a minute to breathe and relax, my insecurities started to sneak up on me and they took me for a loop. I know that I am not the only woman who has dealt with seasons of confusion and insecurity, and lately I have had to spend a lot of time in prayer and reflection regarding these things. We get so busy at times and forget to deal with our emotional needs as a result, which, in turn, allows our emotions to creep up on us in the most surprising ways.

As a beauty blogger, I usually write about beauty and the practical applications of it. The truth is, though, those are only artificial tips. 

Real beauty radiates from inside us.

We are never going to feel beautiful and empowered through our Father if we do not love and take care of ourselves first.

Beauty has nothing to do with the external, but it has everything to do with our minds. We love to make our 2015 resolutions about getting fit or getting outside our comfort zones, but we should all choose to make a resolution to become more empowered and more in love with ourselves this year. After all, other than our relationship with our Father, the most important relationship we will ever have is with ourselves. You may struggle with a few insecurities that you just cannot seem to shake, or you may have some doubts with your faith. Whatever it may be, I want to challenge you to confront your doubts and insecurities head on and learn to overcome them through renewing your mind.

Before I include my practical steps toward achieving this, I want to stress that honesty is the key here. I have had some raw talks with myself and God recently, and let me tell you, it is not easy. Sometimes, we have to be brutally honest with ourselves in order to really know what is that is bothering us. It is not fun to admit a certain insecurity that feels especially painful or embarrassing, but it is the first step toward wisdom and empowerment. Covering up our flaws and insecurities does us no good, and they only grow and expand underneath the surface. I encourage you to be bold and admit the truth to yourself as you take part in this little challenge.

Each time I go through a season of confusion and insecurity, I follow these two simple steps, which is why I feel so inclined to share them with you. 

• Acknowledge your insecurities and flaws. Be honest, raw, and brave as you admit what you are really struggling with. Next, I challenge you to write them down somewhere. During a previous low season in my life, I would get out my phone every time I had a negative thought about myself, or God, and write it in a list. I do not know if you are a particularly organized person or not, but I definitely like to see things all laid out in lists. Something about the process of having to actually produce the thought from your mind onto something tangible is incredibly cathartic. It feels raw. Seeing it in front of you allows you to see the problem at hand and the need to deal with it.
  
  
• Replace every negative thought with a positive one. I have done this with my faith and my insecurities. Any time I felt a negative thought toward God, I reminded myself of a verse that revealed His truth to me, such as “He delights in me,” (Psalm 41:11 ESV) and “I have a beautiful inheritance,” (Psalm 16:6 ESV). If I have a negative thought about myself, I replace it with a positive attribute of mine. And because I just could not get away from the lists, I made a separate list simply titled “Truths”, and it was surprising how quickly it filled up. The first step to becoming a more empowered and confident woman is to acknowledge those insecurities and replace them with positive truths. Just like how health experts today stress the need for a diet cleanse every now and then to flush out toxins from our bodies, our minds need constant detoxing to replace the bad with the good. Life gets busy and we get confused at times, but focusing on God's truth allows us to stay grounded and fearless through the uncertainties.

About the Author :

Ashlyn is a small town girl with a big heart for family, laughter, and all things beautiful. This history nerd enjoys taking walks, yoga, delicious food, and of course, fashion and beauty. She desires most to see a world where women have true and deep relationships with themselves through Christ.