A Dialogue With K

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Beauty, originally uploaded by: Leah Makin

I was captured in a surprise attack when an old client came to our desk yesterday to ask for assistance. She was not wearing a thick make up like she used to nor a big logo bag on her shoulder like she normally do. She was wearing this casual white polo shirt, a silk scarf wrapped around her neck, like most French people do, in low rise jeans and a pair of ballet style shoes and I thought she looked great wearing less. She exudes a unique inner taste of fashion.

And I said, “hey Miss French, you’re looking so different today, it’s so good to see you passing by to say hello”. She answered gracefully saying, “I’m having a good time, haven’t you noticed I didn’t gain weight”? I replied, “actually you look very trendy with your outfit”.

Younger, slimmer and just looking fresh. She’s on her late thirties - well a thirty-something professional women in today’s world will always look young and stunning but I don’t presume they still have the same reproductive potential, winks-winks - but she definately look younger than her age. She’s not that super JLO looking mommah but sometimes, someone who looks beautiful can become ugly the moment they open their mouth but she was the opposite. What was her secret?

I remember the ‘Miss French’, who was a frowny, not approachable and would usually complaint a lot about why her waist looks bigger than her boobsie. I recalled, she has issues in losing weight. She said, she went on a major dieting, veggies, even giving herself a total weekend detox diet but none had helped her at all. She was like a mad woman in a shopping mall who starts screaming at the top of her lungs at a sales clerk because she didn’t get the size or color she requested, nobody won’t be thinking about her appearance - just her manners. If you know what I mean.

We all know that appearance is important in today’s world. We had these ideas of attractiveness that are strongly influenced by celebrities who embody physical beauty at its finest. However, too many people overlook the fact that there is so much more to beauty than simply having the right look.

So I asked her in a manner by which I know for sure, should have not asked in the first place, “what was your secret”?

Moisturizer? Personal Trainer? Plenty of sex?

She replied, “No, little boy”. She called me ‘little’ because obviously I am short.

“Let me explain”, she insisted. “Every once in a while, I wake up early in the morning, get my gear up, jog around Mid-Levels, you know those narrow little road up the SO-HO area, with my new trainers on”.

I know for the fact that people who go there are the same people who spend their dimes on beers, red wines and delicious food and I certainly have no idea it’s also a place to exercise. I must have been buried one floor down at H&M looking for a pair of cheap sunglasses but none that I can think of whatsoever that she would literally go into those narrow street to trim her waist, considering she’s a shopaholic rich woman, but why bother to go that place instead of an expensive gym?

“It is where I exercise these days. I can spend time walking around there, up and down at the busy street without even looking at the big board sign of a celebrity showing their midriffs outfit. It is how I project myself now, feeling positive with my aura and optimistic to get out of life. I think having a positive outlook, in turn, gave me more positive feelings about myself”.

Mindset: She would win in a pageant with that clever answer, not that she could. Such confidence.

But she’s right, feeling good starts with appreciating yourself. Ever wonder why simple praise can do so much for you? It not only boosts your self-esteem by making you realize that your appearance and efforts are recognized, but pushes you to do better. This also works if you praise yourself instead of feeling blame or pity.

Back where the days when I was surrounded with good old friends, it always makes me feel good with them because they contribute to my enjoyment of life. Happiness is one of the key factors that keep us healthy and staying ‘goodlooking and beautiful’. And it can affect the glow of your skin, the shine of your hair and your overall aura and look younger than your age.

Probably Miss French has been doing these for the past few months. It taught me a lesson to seeing things more positively these days. Our life may be composed of ups and downs, but we forget to look for the silver lining in the upsets of our life. Being happy makes us beautiful and being beautiful makes us happy. How can you lose?

I love beautiful people, with beauty inside and out, that is.

Personality as a feature of beauty is much more overlooked these days. Remember that beauty is a two-sided coin. Both inner and outer beauty should be improved and neither should be taken for granted.

“But you look younger than the last time I saw you”, she asked me back. “Guess now how old I am?”, I joked. “I will tell you tomorrow about your age”, she said and bid goodbye with her red mouth-wide lip smile on her face.

The Devil Wears…. Chanel.