L&J: En

We are all unique. All different. Never exactly the same.

So, for sure, you will always find things to pick on other girls and be able to compare yourself to them. That girl who just passed you in the street, your bestfriend, your sister....why ? Because we are all unique !

Let's stop comparing ourselves !

It is possible.

For sure, if you are used to do it, it takes time to get rid of the habit.

But it is possible. A week after the other. One day at a time. One hour at a time. And if you fall back once, don't give up ! But learn from your mistake and keep going, keep pushing.

Constantly finding beautiful assets on the person next to you, assets that you don't own is so depressing, isn't it ? So why should we keep doing it ?! Looking depressed is probably not the best reflection of who we are, definitely not the one we want to portray to those around us !

Yes, maybe that girl sitting at the restaurant's table next to yours has beautiful long silky hair or beautiful blue eyes you wish were yours. Well, be happy for her ! That's all. Maybe she also noticed something beautiful you only have. So just be happy for her, be happy about yourself and keep enjoying the food you are eating, the presence of your family or friends. She is unique. You are unique. Lets accept each other differences.

Yes, you can get inspired by someone's hairstyle, outfit or makeup. There is nothing wrong in this. But if you start feeling down and depressed, if you suddenly can't focus on anything else than “how prettier she is compare to you”, then this is a problem.

Let's not forget that we are all unique ! Let's celebrate our differences ! Let's accept and rejoice for who we are. Life is easier that way !

With the year coming to an end, comes also a time of celebrations filled with good tasty food: turkey, goose, pies, chocolate and candies...

We are often not able to enjoy this time because of our fears to re-gain kilos we have lost with difficulties or to add some to those who are still there.

The thought „I want that, but I can’t have it” comes up in our head when food is presented before us. The thing is that we often fall for what we forbid ourselves to have. Once we fall, we eat a lot of it because why not, after all, we already started and it’s too late! But then we feel guilty and sick because we ate way to much!

I suggest you for this coming time of celebrations to change your thinking. Instead of forbidding yourself, think „I can, but do I want it? “.

We have power and you are not a victim of your desires anymore.

Other advices: eat slowly, enjoy every bites and drink plenty of water (1,5 L to 2 L). Listen your body!

Happy holidays !

I don't know about you, but I've had days where accepting my body was so hard that I couldn't fight it on my own. You know, the kind of days where you feel so depressed about the way your body is, that you just have that in mind. You forget about the good things in your life.

When you walk in the streets suddenly you are very aware of these specific parts of your body that you don't like. You think everyone sees them. You check yourself in every mirror that crosses your way. Every reflections in shopping widows pushes you down.

This is a vicious cycle. A cycle where you get depressed and obsessed by the way you look.

And let me tell you, this isn't a good place to be.

When we feel uncomfortable in our own skin, we are not the most pleasant people to be around !

We get so focused on ourself that we forget the others. Helping someone takes all our energy. Receiving the love of those who love us becomes hard.

When those days come to me, there is only one thing that helps me : Cry out to God for help !

After all, he is the One who made me as I am.

I would tell Him „God, I'm sorry, but I'm definitely not feeling beautiful today. I'm sorry to say it but I hate my body right now. Please help me to see myself with your eyes. Lift me up from this depressing mood I'm in. I invite you once again into into my heart and I let you renew my mind.

Help me God. This doesn't feel good. Help me to get out of this.“

And do you know what ? Every time, without fail, I would feel better...whether it was after some seconds, some hours, or after a night of sleep.

I would feel better and I wouldn't even understand why I have felt that way !

God is good !

He is our creator. He sees the beauty He has put inside us. So when we are struggling, who wouldn't be best at giving us a new sight ?

Believe what He says about you and what He says you are. He is the Truth, therefore He will never lie to you. God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that he should change His mind*.

You are God's handiwork**.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made***.

He made me. He made you. Who knows more than God what beauty is all about ? I mean, He is the one who speckled the night with stars, the one who gives us a beautiful sunrise and sunset everyday !

*Numbers 23:19 **Ephesians 2:10 ***Psalm 139:14

Another choice we can make is to be grateful for what we have.

When you look at your reflection in the mirror, focus on the parts of your body you truly and already love. It might be your long and silky hair or your colorful nails you just painted yesterday. It can be your smile, or your feet, or your neck...

Maybe you are not yet at the point where you accept your whole body as it is; then, as a start, you can just focus on those parts that you already appreciate. It's a process. Be patient and loving !

More than just seeing our body as a body, thinking about what we can do with it, can help :

Your robust arms that allows you to carry your children.

You strong legs allow you to go for long walks and enjoy a nice weather;

Your cute nose allows you to smell the sweet flowers in your garden.

Your beautiful eyes allows you to watch your favorite TV show after a long day of work.

Let's reject all negative thoughts coming in our heads.

Let's be grateful !

I encourage you to take a few minutes every morning before getting up and every evening before falling asleep. Take them and think about the things you are grateful for. It makes life more peaceful.

For more than the body, we can be thankful for anything that has happened during the day or we got blessed with!

Here is what I would say :

I'm grateful for the nice weather we had today. It was nice to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.

I'm grateful for my husband who makes me laugh and who loves me (I love you too baby! Thanks for helping me to translate the articles by the way !),

I'm grateful for having a roof over my head,

I'm grateful for the relationship I have with my family,

I'm grateful for the friend I'll be meeting tomorrow.

….

Thank you God for all your blessings!

Now, it is you turn !

I challenge you to consider starting believing that the compliment you get from someone else is true. It is your choice to reject or accept and believe it. Choose to believe it. If it is too much for you right now, choose to accept it... With times, you will be able to believe it.

Now, stop for a minute, and take time to answer this question : what was the last compliment you have been given to ? Do you remember it ? Well, choose to accept it. Make it your own. Speak it out. The words you let out from your mouth are powerful. They create a new invisible world where you can grow in.

Here is an example. Lets say, some days ago your friend said you had a nice haircut. Back then, you probably unconsciously thought “yeah, yeah, sure. Today I have such a bad hair day. This is just not true”. Well, maybe the way you feel is not the reality. Now, choose to accept that compliment. Make it your own by saying out loud : “ I have a nice haircut “. Might feel awkward if you are used to think negative thoughts about yourself. Everything new in life feels uncomfortable but it doesn't mean it is not good.

No, you might not have the hair of your favorite actress, but this doesn't mean yours aren't beautiful ! You are unique. You are beautiful. Choose to accept it. To believe it.

It is just a choice to make. It is possible. It is in your hand.

No matter what people think or expect of you, you are the owner of your life. You are the one who choose who and what to believe. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you are satisfied the way you are and at peace with the life you have. This is the only way to see your dreams come true. This is the only way to invest in people you meet every day at work, in your friends, in the children you pamper, and in the family you love.

Happiness is in giving. But if you don't have love for yourself, how in the world can you give love to other people ?! It is impossible to give what we don't possess.

In that matter, I will be posting a serie of articles. They will be about the choices we can make that will help us loving ourselves. So that, we are able to love others ; so that your own world is changed ; and so that you are able to change the world.

You are beautiful

You are precious

You are valuable

I know those words can sound weird. When we hear them, we can think they are not meant for us. At times people told me « you are a pretty young woman ». I was listening and was responding a confused thank you while thinking « That's not true, this person didn't really look at me »

These kind of thoughts might run through your head : « Oh, she says that just to be nice... » or maybe « He says that because he wants to use me in some ways ». This happens when we feel uncomfortable with the body we have.

When we hate our body, we can't actually receive compliments. We think that people around us see the same flaws we see on ourselves ; that people look at us with the same eyes that we look at ourselves. But the truth is : we are our own worse enemy.

We are not born with those negative thoughts in our mind.

If you look at a happy little girl, there are high chances you will see her play as a princess. If you tell her she is pretty, she will totally trust you, smile at you, and proudly walk away with her little head high. So, then, what happened to us to come to the point where we think we are ugly and unworthy of love ?

Maybe it all began with a statement or a joke of a family member or a friend. Some words can hurt us even if they were not meant to do so. Moreover, we are facing pressure from the media who wants to tell us how to behave, what we should possess, what brand to wear, which cream to apply on our face, what body we should have, how wide our hips should be, how thin our waist should measure, how many kilos we should weight, what make up look to copy... everything so that we can finally be happy, accepted, loved and respected.

But these are LIES. Why should we look like a person we are not in order to be happy ?

Nobody is like me, and I am like nobody. Nobody is like you, and you are not like anyone.

So let's look at ourselves with kindly eyes.

You are wonderfully made

Your smile is like no other

Your presence is irreplaceable

Therefore, I encourage you to be yourself. To be the most beautiful YOU !

You are beautiful

Watching women fight their own body breaks my heart.

I did it too, and understood this was going nowhere.

 It is not always easy to feel pretty, isn't it ? On Tuesday you might feel beautiful and confident but on Wednesday completely miserable and depressed. Believe me, I know how it feels.

One day, I got tired of it and started to look for solutions, read books, did researches...

And, good news, there are solutions ! There are tricks that can help us on a daily basis to feel better with ourselves. I don't want to keep those solutions for myself but share them. 

My heart’s desire is to help as many women as possible to feel free and pretty. I want to share the tips that helped and still help me on my own journey. I am aware that the Internet is a great tool to reach people I would never have the chance to meet in real life.

This blog is about self esteem, how to learn, accept and finally love who you are, from the inside out. It is about inspirations, encouragements and tips for a more positive life.

The way we think is in our hands - the picture we have of ourselves is under our control. Therefore it is possible to change your mindset and be set free, happy, at peace with yourself; To finally be able to enjoy life, impact the world by spreading the love you have for yourself, on to your neighbour/colleague/family.

I hope this blog encourages you.

Enjoy !

Jessica, for Libre&Jolie.

Welcome ! Bienvenue ! Willkommen !

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