She weighs in

Ready to leave behind

Dead memory
Old places
Empty face entanglements
 

Meant for madness 

Of course

But she is not overtaken

Strong and fit

She empties out her sadness
 

Forgotten tears

Pathetic situations

Deep heartaches

Crazier conundrums

And wounds that seared
 

A cat of nine lives

She’s knocked them all out

Not on technicality

But on fight…

Every hit she landed

Landslide wins

And scars to prove it

Cuts, brokenness

And heartache

Left her grateful-handed

Who is this that challenges? 

Who calls herself to bleed?

Her agreesor

Will it pulverize her

Throw the towel and make her ceed?
 

Knock her down

Knock her out

Make her crazy

Will she steady?

… We will see

Seen with a stride

Honor is on her side

Wonder at her fingertips

Throwing magic

Love she lifts

Lifting a hypnotic punch

She directs the hit

With a sorcerers madness

And her brand

Of divinity
 

Divine child-like-edness

Grateful, grateful she whispers

And she steps into the ring

Again, for the very first time

She begins…

Smiling

She says she’s going to win.

© Sandy Hibbard 

Embracing ourselves and our talents as they are, AND our limitations as they are, is the place where freedom begins.
~ Sandy Hibbard

The most difficult thing [to some] is accepting yourself – right where you are. I think as an artist/creative we’re always worried about how other people are going to perceive the scope of our work. Battling and dealing with how things are going to come across to others is a struggle, yes, but not just because we care about what they think about us, I think it’s more about the worry of how they will accept our talent and gifts. To make things worse, we deal with our own struggle for perfection and wrestle with our inadequacies.

As humans, we are always changing and growing, evolving, learning, and unlearning. One set of skills increase then decrease as we develop excellence in another area.  This is life – we ebb and flow. We grow into our best by building upon layers of experience. You have to accept who you are TODAY, with what you have been given and learned so far. Embracing your gift as it is in the present is an important part of our journey… that’s awareness!

Accepting Yourself for Who and What You Are
As a writer and artist, if I wrote a poem out of inspiration today and then rewrote it next year, can you imagine how different it would be?  If I record a song today and go into the studio and re-record it 2 years from now, they would be completely different songs. At some point, you just have to say ‘enough’ and accept your art, your gift, AND YOURSELF as you are in this moment. You have created the art that speaks to you now and from your current level of experience. That has immense value. You have shared what is from your moment in time along your journey, what could be more pure and beautiful than that? Being ‘OK’ with ourselves and our talents as they are, AND our limitations as they are, is the place where freedom and growth begins.

When you embrace yourself and your gifts as they are, without judgement, it will be a relief. You can relax and settle into who you are, accepting the opportunity and the room it gives you to expand on so many levels – and there will be nothing to hold back the growth. There is a beautiful confidence and ability that comes with acceptance, an honesty and awareness that is attractive and inspiring.  Sure, you can always do better, but how wonderful it is when you put yourself out there, let go of the judgment and criticism and can say ‘this is real now, this is who I am’ – with no shame and no apologies. BOOM! You just let go of the chains that were holding you down!

Love and Hugs,
Sandy

There is no question to me that having PURPOSE drives more confidence in a woman than just about anything else… short of red lipstick maybe!

 
Beauty regimes, great bodies and fashion savvy are excellent confidence boosters… why?  Because on the surface it make us feel pretty, or handsome, desirable, and good about ourselves. There is nothing more powerful than a fresh mani-pedi, new lingerie, or a fabulous outfit to make us feel attractive and sexy.  However, these outward things are not the only ways to increase our confidence.
Confidence, like fitness, is not a given and for most of us doesn’t come naturally. They both must be practiced regularly, they require time, energy and discipline to yield results. When the results come, nothing can be better.
Confidence is the most attractive feature an individual can possess – that along with a genuine smile. Too much confidence though can appear narcissistic and un-attractive; too little comes across as depressive and morose, making us feel lost not only to ourselves but also to those around us. Building our confidence happens over time with small steps and building good habits. There is no secret sauce or magic pill that will give you instant confidence; nothing here that I’m sure you haven’t heard before. However, as we get deep into the demands of daily living, the stress of finances, family, the social scene, and all our favorite foods, I thought a little reminder would do us all good!
Ten Easy Ways To Boost Confidence
1 – Smile more often
Smile more often and make yourself smile when you don’t feel in the mood. It is surprising how a smile can bring out the best in people, even in less positive circumstances. Smiling takes years off the face, and makes you glow, so make a good habit of turning that resting bitch face upside down and smile!
2 – Surround yourself with positive people
Negativity brings us down and serves us badly. Spend time with those who are uplifting. It makes a world of difference. Seek out fun, energetic places to work, have coffee, or just hang out in your spare time. It’s incredible what the energy of other positive-minded people can do.
3 – Challenge the comfort zone
Break the mold and try something unfamiliar, set a goal, focus, and see it through. You will be surprised at what a booster our accomplishments can be. Don’t set the goal posts too far out, small successful steps are the way to build self-esteem and gain confidence.
4 – Take time for yourself
Make more of an effort with your appearance, dress for yourself and dress for success. My Auntie Dee taught me to create beauty in everyday life even if you are single – cook delicious meals, set the table, light the candles, and put out fresh flowers. Find the time for those activities that give you pleasure. Women have a habit of never having time; we need to make time.
5 – Act with purpose
It is important to make every moment count and to do what we do to the best of our ability. Feeling half hearted will never yield the result we are looking for and will ultimately bring us down and sap our confidence. Focusing on activities and work that matters to your heart and to the lives of others is a powerful confidence booster. There is no question to me that having PURPOSE drives more confidence in a woman than just about anything else, short of red lipstick maybe!
6 – Work on Posture
Present the image that you desire. Standing tall gives the impression of confidence even if you are shaking inside. Focus on your body in small intervals and leave the hunched shoulders behind. Easier said than done, I know, so practice! My niece Melissa taught me the “power-pose” – stand erect, arms stretched up and in a wide “V”, chest out, head up, and hold it for 2 minutes while saying a positive affirmation about yourself – out loud. Do this 2 minutes each morning.
7 – Compliment and Praise
Complimenting others has many benefits and not only for the recipient. Complimenting encourages observation and sensitivity, characteristics we aspire to. Making their day kick up a notch is as good as winning the lottery. Thinking about others does sound trite but it works. Giving to others elicits such a feeling of wellbeing and that means greater confidence. Paying attention to the moment and being aware releases us of worry and anxiety and releases a joyful self confidence.
8 – Exercise
Increasing our fitness is one advantage but more importantly, exercise makes us mentally stronger and more positive minded. Never under estimate the power of a long walk or a yoga session. I call it getting my “brain drugs” – walking, hiking, or jogging, clears my head, gives me energy and releases my creative mind.
9 – Laugh
Sometimes it doesn’t come easily. Try, it does wonders for the confidence. The feel good factor of a belly laugh brightens the eyes, gets the heart pumping and keeps the smile alive. I love the line in “Eat Pray Love” where the guru tells Julia Robert’s character to “smile from the liver”… pull that smile, that laugh, up from deep within your being.
10 – Red lipstick
When all else fails, I put on the red lips and pull my hair back in a neat chignon. It helps, I promise.
Image Monica Bellucci
 
 

Be encouraged today. Take charge of your journey – you are the captain of your ship. Throw out every dead weight that hinders your navigation, find your own perspective and steer yourself into clear waters!

XOXOX
Sandy

Have you ever just longed for the time you would truly like yourself, be comfortable with you? Have you every woke up refreshed and looked in the mirror and fell in love with the person behind your eyes?  Have you ever made a statement, then jumped back and said “wow, did I say that? pretty awesome!”  Sounds weird, huh? Yet a good healthy love of ones self is the sweetest thing in life and the most empowering resource we can own.  So today, you might be in need of a shot in the arm and for someone to tell you it’s cool to be you –  with all your faults, insecurities, passions, ideas, emotions, talents, and desires….here’s to you!   Keep looking for rainbows, I am.
Love and peace, Sandy

 Passion of Me
I am the enigma of my solace.
Sometimes I feel so alone
yet the throbbing of my thoughts
break through
to reconcile peace
in the struggle between soul and mind
clarity and longing
“I am not magnificent”
yet a wondrous woman I am
my soul pierces through
toward a play of knowing all
there is a veil that ensconces me
tenderly allowing the light to dance
upon my darkness
revealing the ebb of desire
against the flood of owning my own passion
this is real – this is me.