Mind Over Body

I have felt in relative harmony with myself the last few days. I've rode the waves of my mind and as I’m typing this, have received the good news that my new job will be permanent as opposed to fixed term temporary. This means I won’t just be tossed onto the open road after a short ride like a creepy hitchhiker *does celebratory wiggle*. As a result of a busy albeit, chilled few days, I haven’t bothered too much with making myself look like anything other than ordinary. I always make sure I look sort of presentable because it makes me feel neat and in case I happen to bump into Channing Tatum (the internet tells me he lives in London so it could happen, don’t ruin this for me please). Since reaching my twenties, I very rarely entertain negative, hateful feelings towards myself and my appearance, nor spend a great deal of time dwelling on it. I think, as we grow, most of us learn how little importance it has. I have met a lot of people and none of them have heaved upon sight of me so hopefully I don’t look like the evil queen in Snow White upon her transformation to an old beggar woman.

Of course my comfortable attitude towards my appearance isn't bulletproof.  Put into an example, I do wear some very basic make-up to the gym (ridiculous I know), but I have also worn the same, ugly tracksuit bottoms and jumper to work out in for the past two years and I like to think that the two cancel each other out. Likewise, I am guilty of holding the occasional pity party. I usually give myself the pleasure of unwrapping feeling fat or thinking I’m ugly, thoughts of which when I do have, I know to dismiss because they aren't important or true. In my mind I can see hundreds of human heads, male and female, nodding in agreement from an imaginary audience that are reading this and have felt those things too. As I hear this negativity from many people, very regularly, this post is a reminder that being self-depreciating and hating how you look is pointless and unproductive. The excessive importance that is placed on appearance brings nothing but artificial, temporary happiness. You are born into your body and you’re always going to exist in it (claustrophobic thought). If the way you look is something that violates your mind more than you’d like it to then I’d entertain this thought. Based on their physical beauty, the most attractive flowers may be the ones that are picked first and displayed in a glass vase in the middle of a room. They are also the ones that get a week to exist until they wilt, die and rot.

Focusing too much on the way you look is like slowly sawing off your arm (can’t recommend). It’s painful and self-destructive. A cool thought came to me today, and as this blog claims to be a place for cool things, I felt it somewhat appropriate to share. I found myself thinking about how being the owner of a strong mind is invaluable compared to anything else. If you explore your mind and challenge it you’ll find out that it’s a large, expandable sponge that can bring you ridiculous, long term happiness. It let's you wear your kindness, your imagination and your confidence. If you use your mind as your most attractive feature then any insults you give yourself and that others give you about how you look won't have effect because you’ll reach a point where your mind will be like Thor’s hammer. Very powerful and controllable by no-one except you. If you love yourself and your appearance then let’s share a high five, but if you’re in that uncomfortable zone of not quite knowing then remember, mind over matter. I will leave you with a little treat from Tyrion Lannister of Game Of Thrones, who, through being that someone who is constantly ridiculed for how he looks, really knows his shit.