Cleanse, tone and moisturize – facial basics for your life

Have you ever had a facial? The process not only leaves your face glowing, it also affects how you feel about yourself. You walk taller and more confident. But if you depend only on a facial for that effect, the feeling won’t last very long. You can create a platform for happiness, contentment and confidence in your life, by using the basics of a facial.

Every now and then, we get tired of the same old thoughts circling in our heads. We grow numb and complacent from the monotonous, mindless actions we perform every day. Plus, our self-destructive feelings continually sabotage our personal relationships and our professional opportunities.

If this describes your life, you may want to consider not just an external procedure, but one that starts on the inside and radiates outward. It is simple really. Just use the same basic three-step process of a regular facial.

The multitude of brands on the store shelves are enough to make you dizzy and confused about which to buy for a facial. Fortunately, the cleansing, toning and moisturising procedure I am recommending today saves you from worrying about brand names, product reviews or disfiguring side effects.

Cleanse

Experts say: Daily facial cleansing brings a glow to the skin. Failure to cleanse regularly and properly will result in the build up of oil from within and dirt, environmental and other impurities from without. They clog the pores, leading to ugly and embarrassing toxic breakouts, which can permanently damage the skin. So a daily cleansing routine is essential to free your skin of the effects of such pollutants. Never use normal soap; it is too harsh.

Your life is just as delicate. It deserves tender loving care and regular maintenance if you are to reap and enjoy the benefits. Just as daily dirt and grime can settle on your face and clog your pores, so too can daily stress, mental and physical exhaustion, and frayed emotions take up residence in your life.

They clog your mind with toxic thoughts that lead to breakouts of bad attitudes, mediocre efforts at home and on the job. They cause you to act contrary to what you know and believe. They attract toxic people whose poisonous venom infiltrates and alters how you view yourself, your life circumstances and your relationships. They dry up your enthusiasm for the beauty around you and the opportunities that grace your life.

You need to begin a regular life-cleansing regimen to remove the dust, dirt and toxicity in your mind, your body, your emotions and in your relationships. When you do, you will experience a renewed willingness and confidence:

-  To face the demons in your past.

-  To embrace a new and positive mindset.

-  To explore opportunities that enhance your personal and professional life.

-  To stand your ground and hold fast to your faith in the face of negative comments, abuse, toxic people and disappointing circumstances.

-  To forge ahead in pursuit of your dreams.

- To notice and savor the good things in your life.

More importantly, your renewed confidence and bright outlook

will radiate outward and touch other people’s lives.

Tone

Experts say: Toning is the comprehensive process that includes removing remnants of make-up or cleansing lotion and restoring the skin’s natural pH balance. The astringent in toner closes the pores, tightens the skin and protects it from toxins and other environmental pollutants. Avoid those with alcohol which destroys the soluble collagen below the skin’s surface.

After you go through a period of cleansing your life of negative thoughts, destructive speech, haphazard actions and tumbled emotions, you need to tone the positive elements that remain by:

-  Balancing responsibilities at home with demands at work.

- Balancing things you do for yourself with those you do for others.

- Balancing personal time with fun, leisurely times with people you love.

Moisturize

Experts say: When exposed to the elements, skin can lose its natural moisture and wrinkle faster. Moisturising after cleansing and toning improves the skin’s elasticity, forms a barrier against the harmful elements, and replenishes the skin’s natural moisture. The secret ingredient to a fresh healthy glow is water. It keeps the skin moist and slows the inevitable ageing process. Apply moisturiser lightly, working outwards from the centre.

Cleansing and toning your life is effective only if you moisturize:

- Mentally: Let this Bible verse be your motto: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

- Physically: Exercise regularly and eat healthy meals that include lots of fruits and vegetables. Schedule guilt-free self-care — personal time for quiet reflection and relaxation. Prioritise your commitments to allow time for leisure activities.

- Spiritually: Make time daily for spiritual refreshing through prayer and meditation and fellowship with people who share your beliefs.

- Emotionally: Learn to say “No,” and delegate to ward off burnout and its accompanying stress.

5. Socially: Seek out and embrace people whose company is refreshing, enjoyable and inspiring. Share your knowledge, your blessings and your time with others.

Surely you know that there is more to beautiful and healthy skin than genetics. It takes persistent work to keep it glowing. In the same way, your life can have the glow that comes from cleansing the harmful toxins that plague you, toning your days with a delicate balance of home life, work life, personal time, spiritual refreshing, healthy habits and choices, good friends and fun times.

What’s the condition of your life? Has it lost its glow? Use these three basic steps of a good facial to bring back the glow.

Why you need a personal manifesto

Your personal manifesto is a written declaration you present to yourself affirming who you are, your ideals and principles, your objectives and the working plan to achieve them.

Unless God leads you down a different path, your personal manifesto can be the road map to your future.

A personal manifesto outlines your identity, objectives, action plan and support base. Things can change and plans can go awry as they often do. However, that shouldn’t deter you from drafting your personal manifesto to clarify who you are, what you want, why and what course of action you will need to take to attract the support you will need and thus position yourself to successfully reach your goals.

Do you have a clear idea of what you want and where you want to go with your life? If everything is still only in your head, that’s where it will stay and might never see the light of day.

Your personal manifesto will help to:

Clarify your ideals, beliefs and goals. Most often, it is in writing down a thought or an idea that we understand its true and deeper meaning. Seeing the words on the page, or reading them on a computer screen places it in the realm of greater possibility. It is almost as if the thought or idea speaks for the first time and says: “I am here, I am real and I am possible.”

The act of writing down your ideals and your beliefs crystallises them. The cloudiness you lived with before begins to dissipate as you are forced to walk through the nebulous thoughts that have been roaming around in your head and make your way to a clear-cut, realistic and confident stance on who you are, what you believe, and what you want.

Carve the path to your desireddestination. When you spread your vision out on paper, you are better able to examine it objectively, simplify its complexities, plug its loopholes, and orchestrate its possibilities. Failure to see all sides and the inside could blind you to congruent opportunities, cause you to take wrong turns, stumble, fall and fail altogether.

Confucius, the Chinese philosopher said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

But unless you have a clear idea of the journey, the destination, and what it entails, the path could morph into a jumble of impossible steps.

When you mix the busy, crowded reality of your present with the hazy picture of the future you want, finding and taking that crucial first step seems almost impossible. Begin drafting your manifesto and the path will emerge. And as you peruse the path, understand, analyze and dissect it, the steps will become clearer and easier to undertake.

Classify and choose your supporters. A clear and realistic manifesto does not guarantee all-out support for your ideas and efforts. However, without a manifesto to help you attract the ideal supporters, you’re looking at a lonely journey.

You don’t have to throw your ideas out there and stand idly by waiting for the sharks to rip them to shreds, leaving you beaten down and dejected. You don’t have to simply settle for the few “friendly fish” that remain behind.

A manifesto is not complete without a list of your ideal supporters. You can find them without wearing your heart on your sleeve. With your manifesto in hand, you can choose what information to use to attract the most supportive people.

Drop a few hints, see their reactions and make your selection. Then begin to feed them some of the real meat. You may still have to cut some supporters loose, but at least it will be your call. Keep the ball in your court.

Curb overwhelming feelings and scattered focus. Far too often, we train our eyes on the outcome we want to see. And while it is advisable to be focused, we can get so caught up in the glory of it all that we neglect to pay attention to the work involved in getting there and when the reality hits us, we grow fearful, weary and overwhelmed.

But the pathway from the ideas in our head to achievement doesn’t have to be so overpowering. One day at a time; one step at a time, is a motto that will help you to move only as fast as the reality of your daily life will allow. Don’t fight with — or gripe about — how your life is now. Work with it; work around it. There is always a way and if you can’t see it yourself, ask for help.

Do you have several major goals in mind? Draft a short manifesto for each one. Define it and its anticipated benefits, list what you will need and where you will find it. Where will you find support? Outline the programme of actions that will take you to the end. Then take the next goal through the same process.

Most likely you can only pursue one goal at a time. Choose one based on its ease of attainment because an early success in one thing can truly boost your confidence and motivate you to go after another that might require greater effort and take longer to achieve.

You will grow weary; it is natural, you’re human. Take care of yourself and you will uncover your hidden ability to curb the negative feelings. Draft your personal manifesto and step up to the plate of actions that are necessary to reach your goals.

Writing a manifesto for your life and your goals is an exercise in discovery and clarity. Draft yours today. Unless God leads you down a different path, your personal manifesto can take you out of the realm of vague ideas and wishes and on the road to your future. With a manifesto you can keep focused and on track.