Why Taking Care of Your Appearance Doesn't Have To Be Shallow
For people who pride themselves on being above petty and superficial concerns, and especially for those of us who have a strong sense of spirituality, and of alignment with something higher in life, it can end up happening that the idea of investing time and energy on our personal appearance and presentation can seem shallow or unenlightened.
When all is said and done, however, there are many reasons why taking care of your appearance doesn't have to be shallow at all, but can instead be an expression of self-care, and the desire to engage most enthusiastically and positively with the world around you.
Whether in the form of investigating dental options from SmileMaker Orthodontics, or upgrading your wardrobe, here are a few reasons why taking care of your appearance doesn't have to be shallow.
Because how you present yourself usually influences your sense of optimism and confidence
There's something truly beautiful about engaging with the world at large with a spirit of optimism, enthusiasm, and confidence, as opposed to feeling negative, pessimistic, and put upon.
For better or for worse, it's a simple fact that the way you choose to handle your personal presentation will usually have a significant effect on your sense of optimism and confidence, and on your ability to live life in the richest and most uplifting way.
This is not to say that you should base your sense of self-worth on how you look, but rather that making an effort with your appearance is the kind of thing that can help you to feel as though you are putting your best foot forward, and are embracing life, rather than turning away from it.
If you find yourself feeling guilty about adopting a particular beauty routine or something similar, or feel as though it's something that you "should be above," just keep in mind that there is no reason why living a deep, meaningful, or spiritual life has to mean that you reject the more everyday aspects of life, such as wanting to feel good about how you look before you step out the front door.
Because it can be very uplifting to strive to make your body a reflection of your spirit
Many spiritual traditions out there have some form of the teaching that "the body is a temple" of the soul, and many influential figures dating back to the ancient world have commented on the fact that striving to make the body a reflection of the soul, to the best of your ability, is a noble and worthwhile pursuit.
Of course, this isn't in any way to say that the state or appearance of your body defines your spiritual dimension or nature, or that your physical appearance or presentation is one of the most important things in life – but it is to say that taking the time to polish up your physical presentation can be a great way of honouring your more innate and spiritual side.
The argument for taking pride in your appearance and presentation as a spiritual person isn't so different from the argument for creating a beautiful and harmonious living space, instead of a messy and cluttered one, as a spiritual person. In each case, you're trying to honour and align with something greater.
Because taking care of your appearance is an important part of self-care, and can influence how you treat others, for the better
Most people would agree that self-care is a long way from "shallow," and that it's a good thing that it is being increasingly recognised as important, across broad swathes of society.
The thing is, taking care of your appearance can be a very central and important part of self-care, as it can help to alleviate stress, give you more confidence, can help you feel your best, and can – in turn – even directly influence how you treat others, for the better.
When you feel more confident in your appearance and in your personal presentation, there's a good chance that you will find that you end up being more outgoing, positive, and easy-going with others, as opposed to being too inclined to be defensive, or to assume the worst about people’s intentions.
Although low self-esteem obviously has the tendency to lead to social withdrawal, and to other negative emotional states, it can also have the significant downside of causing people to feel more paranoid and persecuted, and therefore preventing them from engaging more positively and optimistically with others.
Any self-care technique or approach that helps you to reduce stress, and to feel happier and more confident, has the potential to significantly improve your interpersonal interactions, and the degree to which you feel warm feelings towards those you encounter on an everyday basis.
Because the way you choose to present yourself can be a celebration of life
Let's face it – life is just better than when you are able to put yourself out there, have fun, enjoy the experiences contained in each day, and conduct yourself in a light-hearted manner, in general.
There is a world of difference between living life in a way that causes you to feel a sense of thriving and positivity in general, and living in a way that causes you to feel overly serious, stressed, and negative in a variety of different ways.
Taking your personal presentation seriously, and having some fun with it, can serve as something like a celebration of life as a whole. It can help you to move past the mindset of just surviving, or going through the motions, and can move you into the mindset of someone who is actively "enjoying the ride" of life, and expressing themselves wholeheartedly and positively.
In fact, anything that helps you to feel your best, to engage more with the world at large and with other people, and to adopt a more positive and optimistic outlook on things as a whole, can work to enrich and deepen your sense of appreciation for life as a whole, and can end up serving as a real celebration of life.
