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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Intern Lauren needs us! - part 2 (a/k/a 10 great things about YOU!)

(cont'd from previous post)

 
image by nicolepete23 on flickr

I don't know how I'll feel when the actual time comes, but in this moment, I am not afraid of turning 30. :) There's a real sense of coming into my own. I wouldn't wanna go back to the insecure version of myself from before. 29 brought anxiety but then a real comfort in my own skin that I didn't have when I was younger. If you're younger than I am, enjoy it, and try to start realizing NOW that you're amazing...if you're older than I am, enjoy it and revel in the fact that you're way smarter than I am. ;) There's much good stuff to be experienced in every age! Those who are older than I am, you are equally amazing, if not more so than the younguns (no offense, younguns). I was going on the basis that after 30, you should already be aware of the important fact that amazing and beautiful is what you are. If you weren't, I just told you, so now you know. :) 

My mom always told me no one else is nearly as worried about how you look as YOU are. They are all too busy thinking about themselves and how THEY look!

There's a line from a song I came across a long time ago that I printed out and taped to my bathroom mirror. The song is "Beautiful" by Joydrop. 

I am not beautiful like you. I am beautiful like me.

A friend of mine left me this GREAT comment...she so aptly worded her feelings on being 30 - 32. If you're younger, try not to repeat how we were! :) Now's your chance to start seeing yourself differently! 

I have never been more comfortable with who I am and what I stand for. I loved every minute of turning 30 and will love every minute of turning 32 day after tomorrow. As you grow as a woman you learn what sexy is and morph from a gangly duckling (with the hottest body you will probably ever have) into a more subtle and put together version of yourself you will soon realize that the 30 something version is unrivaled by your twenty-something counter-part. Sure there are a few more gray hairs and a few more wrinkles around your eyes, but I would trade those any day for the sheer confidence I feel in almost everything I do now that I have a little more life under my belt. While my breasts are closer to that belt than they were when I was 25, I have the utmost security that I know how to use and be comfortable with what I have now. When I was 25 you would not have caught me naked with the lights on to save my life, but now is a different story. If I had the body I had then and knew what I know now...WOW! So love yourselves and embrace what it is about you that makes you special. I will give you a hint, it isn't your cup size, your hair color or the brand of jeans you wear. 

In the last part of Q100's interview with their intern, Lauren (you can go back and read our part 1 entry about it here), they ask her to list 5 great things about herself. Without even pausing, she says, "Oh, no, I can't." Then they say how about 3, and then 2, and she still has a really hard time coming up with anything. That absolutely BREAKS MY HEART. 

So KameraWhore and I will take the lead by posting lists for ourselves, and we hope readers, and intern Lauren, will take their turns as well. :)

Jenarcissist: INSIDE

1) I'm very loyal. I've had the same two best friends almost my entire life. I'm even fiercely loyal to my favorite singers, especially if they have taken the time to write back to me. I'm also very loyal to various causes that I hold near and dear to my heart, which leads to my next one.
2) I'm compassionate. This compassion is extended to people and animals and all creatures. I've done lots of animal rescue on my own, and I'm always trying to think of ways to make people, especially girls, feel better about themselves. I carry an intense burden for people who are hurting, even if I don't always know what to do to help. I also consider myself a bit of a personal advocate for transgendered people, even though I'm not transgender myself, because I believe very passionately that this is something people should educate themselves on and pass along a broader societal understanding and just let people be who they are.
3) I am exceptionally strong. This is a whole other topic, but my mom passed away a few years ago when I was young, and I am determined to live a joyful, fulfilled life even amongst the pain. I loved her so much that I thought losing her would destroy me, but my inner resolve wouldn't allow it. I purposely focus on what's good in life more than what's bad.
4) I'm talented at several things. I don't know if I've mastered any of them, but I sure have fun trying, and I've finally gotten to the point where I realize that is the most important part! I don't have to be perfect to know I'm good at a wide range of creative things.
5) I have overcome tons and tons of fears and anxieties! I won't expound on it right now, or you'd be here all day. Every day, I'm a work in progress, but I'm leaps and bounds from where I used to be!

Jenarcissist: OUTSIDE

1) I like my eyes. I've never met anyone else who has my eye color. I think it looks like cats' eyes. I also like my eyelashes, though you wouldn't know it by the incessant odyssey I'm on to extend, extend, extend!
2) I like my lips. As you'll realize if you read "Narcissa," I was made fun of for my big ole lips all the time in middle school. But I learned eventually that I quite like them. :)
3) I like my hair. It might not always stay the same color, but I like the way it falls.
4) I like how my middle fingers curve outward instead of being straight. I get that from my dad.
5) I kinda like my height. I'm not tall; I'm actually fairly short by "normal" standards. But I kinda like it "down here."

Kam?? :)


Alright, alright...I finally have some time to really get to work, so what better task than to write about my awesomeness. Just kidding...this isn't going to be easy for me. Aside from my cattiness with Jenarcissist, I really am a very shy and fairly self-conscious gal. This is getting better as I age, however. I'm beginning to not give a damn what others think about me. Though when I pass a random hottie, I would of course rather turn his head in my direction rather than the opposite :). Okay, I'm rambling; I suppose I should begin my assignment... 

What's fabulous about the inner KameraWhore? 

1) I'm a positive thinker. It's a way of life for me, and I hope to always stay this way. If something sucky happens, then it must be for a reason. If there's two hours of traffic or a missed plane, well, then I must be blessed enough to have averted a car accident or, worse yet, a plane crash! Lucky me!
2) I'm nice. Why be mean to others? How is that going to change my life for the better? If I want to vent and be ugly about something or someone, then I save it for those who are closest to me. They'll listen and help me process my feelings without my having to deal out any negative energy into the universe. It has enough already. Yep.
3) I'm funny. I think. I can make Jenarcissist laugh, right, hottie? I'm no comedian, and VainShane may not agree to this particular attribute of mine, but you don't know me yet, so I'm a real hoot.
4) I'm a lady. I had the most vulgar father, God rest his soul, but he (and my sweet momma) taught me to be a well-mannered lady...at least in public, that is. I can't say the same for my private life. *wink, wink*
5) I have a strong work ethic. I started working when I was 12. My family never had money, and I knew if I ever wanted a car, I'd have to buy it myself. A handsome '89 Dodge Shadow entered my life on my 16th birthday, paid for using my own cash. I've never had anything handed to me, and that's okay. I'm a better person because of it.

Now onto the outer me... 

1) My arms are my favorite part of me. They're my mom's, and I love that they look just like hers! 
2) My hands. They are small and petite and they can create art, which is my favorite thing about me...oh, I left that out above; I suppose that belongs under inner awesomeness? But back to my hands. My fingertips are hideous. I bite my nails down to the quick, and nobody can understand how it doesn't cause me pain. But they look exactly like my dad's fingertips. He passed away when I was 23, and looking at them reminds me of him. So, oh, well that they're ugly; I love them!
3) My ribs, ha ha. I have a pretty small rib cage, and I like them. Not much more to say there.
4) My eyes. They're pretty big and dark green. They also have some "bags" under them which have actually improved with age. I'll just tell ya right now, I was a funny looking kid. Some photographer thought it would be a good idea to airbrush them out of my senior portraits; apparently, he didn't like them. He made me look like a completely different and plasticky person, and I didn't appreciate it. I'm okay with my imperfections, and I don't really care if others aren't.
5) My nose. It's straight, not extremely long, and it turns up just a bit at the tip. Genetics worked in my favor, because it could have had a lot more "personality," if you know what I mean! :) 

Now we would like for anyone reading this to list out (in a comment) 5 things you love about your inside and 5 things you love about your outside! 

Take it seriously. You can post anonymously if you want (though as a closet narcissist, you'll probably want people to know who you are! haha). Use this chance to really stop and think about what makes you awesome. If you have trouble, you can ask a friend for input. A close friend of mine did this for me (Jenarcissist) once...she listed out 10 things she was proud of me for, and it's something I will save forever!! And, trust me, there ARE 10 great things each girl and woman can list about herself!!! :)
And...GO!!

5 comments:

Nicki said...

Someone has to go first, eh? =).

Inner:
1) I'm a hard worker. I may be prone to procrastinate sometimes, but I always finish what I start and I do my fair share of work - sometimes even more so because I'm a firm believer in doing something yourself if you want it done right! =).
2) I'm musical. I played flute and piccolo for 6 years in junior high and high school, and I taught myself by ear a few songs on piano. I've also been told I have a nice singing voice =).
3) I'm independent. Everything I own and have achieved I've done on my own, and I have never had anything handed to me.
4) I am intelligent. During my three years of university I have made the Dean's List and I plan to do so in my final year as well!
5) I'm funny... Or so I've been told. I trust my friends' judgment! =).

Outer:
1) I love my teeth. They have always been naturally straight and even, and I've never had to have dental work done on them.
2) I like my calves. Since I don't have a car I have to walk most places, so my calves are a nice shape. Which leads me to my next item...
3) My ankles. They are narrow in comparison with my calves which makes me happy, because I think it is more feminine looking.
4) My hour glass figure. While I sometimes lament and moan about how I could be more "toned" or more fit, I like my general shape. I have a very narrow waist in comparison with my hips and bust and while it can make clothes shopping difficult sometimes I think it's kind of sexy.
5) My height. I used to be teased a lot in junior high for being short, but I've always been proud of being a shrimp. I stand somewhere between 5'0" and 5'1", and I love the fact that being so small means I'll never have to sacrifice heals because I'd be taller than my date. No offense, tall ladies!

I think this is a fantastic post and I really enjoyed reading it, and coming up with my own reasons for self love! I think it's really great what you guys are doing here =).

Sarah said...

OK!!! I'm excited because I LOVE ME! (Can you tell how I'm getting into the spirit already? Yay!)

Sarah, INSIDE:
1) I'm a social chameleon. I choose when and where to be the life of the party and when to be quiet and let others do the talking. If I am in the mood, I don't let anything about myself slip and simply absorb other people. Other times, I find myself with three or four new friends hanging on my every word by the end of the night.
2) I'm smart AND humble. I know I'm intelligent, but don't feel the need to flaunt it. If I know the answer, I help out. If someone else gets it, I don't steal their thunder.I've travelled ALOT and I'm humble about that too. Usually people don't find out how many countries I've visited (more than 20, on soon-to-be 5 continents) until I know them pretty well.
3) I can cook. I'm not the best, I'm not the most creative. But I'm damn good and very adventurous! I've made falfels, pita and foccacia bread from scratch, sushi rolls, cakes, pies, eggplant parmesean, and hummus!
4) I'm eternally silly and child-like. I like making people laugh and having fun!!!
5) I am not overly concerned with making money, even from music (which is my hobby and profession). Sure, I need it to get the basics for life, but I'd rather make a friend and share an experience, or do a concert for a charity than charge someone a fee for a lesson or a gig. If I get paid, great, but that's not the point. The point is to do what I love and feel that it matters!


Sarah, OUTSIDE:
1) My hair is awesome. Everyone tells me that and I am going to own it right now. Awesome.
2) I, too, bite my fingernails right down to the quick and my hands are nasty-looking because of it, but I love them. They play instruments, cook, type and text really fast, and do all kinds of other things really well.
3) My eyes. Sometimes green, sometimes brown, sometimes both. Really big Italian eyes. 8)
4) I'm proud to weigh almost exactly the same as when I graduated from high school, over 10 years ago.
5) The most graceful thing about me is my neck. "Graceful" is not a word that comes to mind when I consider myself usually, but my neck manages to be graceful anyway.

This is fun! I really like telling you what I like about me... come on narcissists, weigh in! :)

Anonymous said...

Alanaiscious june 3, 2010

Alana, Inner:
1. I gotta be one of the most empathetic people I know. I try to see every angle, from everybody's point of view. Everybody has their own life story and inner workings and it's not fair to judge based on our own understandings of life.

2. I'm funny as Hell! Albeit, it's a raunchy funny, I didn't get my sister, Kamerawhores, well-mannered ways. But, I can make anything into a sexual joke, on the spot! That's gotta be a gift right?

3. I'm smart. Smarter than my job warrants. I have alot of little historical fact swimming in my head that the average person doesn't know. I find I live more in the past than the future. The past is safe, I know what happened already. The future is a blank slate ready for me to screw up.

4. Last, but not least I try to be the best mom i can be and learn from my parents mistakes, and my mistakes. I make alot of mistakes, but in the end if I can just get through to them that I am only human and what it means to be human, and that I love them with all my being forever and ever through all time and space, hopefully they'll know I did try. And they'll be able to use my love as a shield from all the crap life is going to throw at them!

Alanaiscious, OUTSIDE:

1) This list is going to be shorter....which comes to my first quality I hold dear. I'm short, 5'0". I love being short and it is who I am. Everyone is taller than me, especially men, and I like my men to appear as large as possible to me. I like being independent, but if I need help reaching something.....it can't hurt to help start a conversation with a tall, dark and handsome type, right?

2.) My BOOBS. They're lower than where they first started, but when the morning sunlight hits them just right, they're AWESOME, and 100% real, no one's taking them back! They're my "biggest" feminine attribute!

3.) My mom says my nose is my best feature, it's small and straight, but who gets turned on by a nose. I like my eyes best. They're the window to my soul, and if you really know me you just need look into my eyes and you'll know what I'm feeling.

Anonymous said...

Bon
Inner
1) Driven-I would say I have generally acheived about anything I have tried to do. I don't always manage to do things to my own perfectionistic (obviously spelling isnt important)level but I can say that if I set my mind to do it I will. I dont care about other peoples standards or time frames on acheiving stuff, I care about mine!
2) Stable/Reliable/Secure- I kind of lumped them together because they run into eachother to me. I think if I asked anynone else to sum me up in one word it would be one of the three. I can also depend on myself to be all of the above for me which is awesome. I think I can still count on one hand how often I have been jealous or "insecure" about something in regards to another. I tend to rate myself on my own scale . (Im my best and worst enemy with this. Im sounding like more of an arcissist than I thought I would).
3) Confident/positive- all of this is again running together for me. Im pretty secure and confident in my place in the world and feel supported by the universe and those around me. Im an incredibly loved person and have wonderful friends and family that constantly remind me of it. Im fairly incapable of maintaining a negative attitude. I use to be able to in highschool but the ability has left me. I know it helps that I have the most beautiful 2 year old boy ever that is a lovely filter/lens for how the world looks.
4- spiritual- I think this one effects the others above the most. I have been pretty spiritual since a young age and everything I can get my hands on seems to be further confirming all of my beliefs and making me feel more of part of the whole.
outer
1) I like my hair because it shiny and very soft.
2) I like my hands, they are feminine and my nails are usually pretty when I take time on them.
3)I like my eyes ( I got them from my mom and they remind me of her every time I look in the mirror)
4) I like my voice, anyone who knows me will be suprised by this I bet. I didnt use to but now I do because it is different, I like when I laugh and Im not even expecting it.
5) I too like my height, I dont notice that Im short until a nice looking taller gent walks by and I magically feel girly. It may be fun being taller but I could suck too running around seeing bald spots!

This was fun and I liked everyone else comments. I think its important to celebrate what you like about yourself and it definately does change with age and wisdom.

Jenarcissist @ the closet narcissist said...

Thank you to Nicki and Chelsea for blogging your own lists!!! :) Yay!

http://kaleidoscopethrills.blogspot.com/2010/06/10-things.html

http://brightsidedweller.blogspot.com/2010/06/outfit-log-im-not-in-cali-anymore-and.html

Check out their blogs...they're great!

If anyone wants-ta do the same on their blog, please do! Posting a link here in our comments letting us know is always appreciated too (and linking back to us as they did)! We wanna know how the love is spreading! ;)

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