A Little Lip Service

I hate being late. I take pride in being on time....but I am VERY late with today's (Monday's) BLOG. Almost 2 days late! Nevertheless, I am here now, and it appears, you are too, so let's get started!

Are you wearing your lipstick, freshly applied, at this very moment? If you aren't--STOP. Stop right here, read no further. Scoot yourself away from the screen and go put something on your lips. Again, you can go with lipstick, lip gloss, lip balm or even good ol' Chapstick. I'll wait for you...

I'm advising you to wear the lipstick for a multitude of reasons, each of which is important.

If you remember, I asked you to GO OUT and PURCHASE the lipstick. New and fresh (not pull one out of your make-up drawer or an old purse. If you didn't buy a new one, please GO OUT and purchase one as soon as you are done with this post. It can be a cheap-o brand, or as high-end as you want to go). I suggested you get something NEW, different than you are accustom to wearing. A different color, brand or flavor (if you're opting for a Lip Smacker). Here are SOME of the reasons behind the lipstick:

* I wanted you to get something NEW, because THIS is a beginning. A start. Point "A" in your journey. I wanted you to have something NEW for yourself to get you inspired. You have found this blog, decided (at the least) to read further--and that is a START. A monumental effort to "try it out."

* The newness of the shade, brand or scent of the lipstick, was so you would FEEL different when you took it out to put it on. You would SEE something different (a different packaging, a different "name" on the bottom of the tube) when you went to put it on. A different SCENT or flavor when it hits your lips and nose. It's all about making a DIFFERENT choice than you've been making up to this point. This is a new, fresh time in your life. A fresh feel, scent, flavor to your day, than in days past.

* It is for you, for this time. The NEW lipstick is YOURS. Something you bought for your SELF! It was not purchased because you have an outfit for it to go with, or you ran out of your other tube. It was a splurge. Even if it was a $3 purchase, it was a splurge--because it wasn't necessary. It was not on your LIST of things to do or get. It was a JUST BECAUSE kind of purchase. How often do you DO that? Buy something for yourself---just because? (I have always made such purchases....but realize now, I was often trying to FEED something with the purchase....more on that Another Time). This, you did for yourself. It was NOT a piece of cake. A bag of chips. A large fry, or milk shake. But it fed YOU. It was for YOU! (Good Job! I am very proud of you!)

* Putting on the lipstick is a statement. A statement, that for the next portion of time, whether it is the three minutes it takes to read this post, or the five minutes you set aside to work in your journal...it is a statement that THIS time is different. THIS is ME time. This lipstick, is a statement, that I am working on ME, RIGHT NOW. This time is for me, and my glossy, yummy, colorful lips are a SIGN of that. A sign to ME, that THIS is FOR ME!

* Putting on the lipstick is a decision. A CONSCIOUS decision. A choice to MAKE yourself DIFFERENT. To CHANGE yourself. You are changing YOUR FACE, YOUR LIPS, each time you take out that stick or tube or pot, and put the contents on your lips. You are DECIDING to do it. Just like you will DECIDE 100 times a day about the things you eat, wear, say, think and do---as you continue on with this Dance Party for One. You are taking charge of your SELF and your FACE when you do this!

Your MOUTH

Your LIPS

are your

Best

AND

your

Worst

feature

WE are together--

YOU are...on your own--

Going to start

seeing...

believing...

making...

your

Mouth,

your

Lips

MATTER

You have EATEN for long enough

(using that mouth to do the work).

You have FED all kinds of different needs:

emotional

spiritual

physical and

relational

NEEDS,

with that mouth

and

with those lips.

You have covered up the truth,

with those lips

You have made promises you didn't keep,

with those lips

You have said things about yourself

(and others),

with that mouth

You have said things you shouldn't have

and

kept silent when you should have spoken,

with that mouth

You have spoken lies

Diminished yourself

Shouted and yelled in anger

Moaned and sighed in hopelessness

Begged and pleaded in prayer

Confessed your sins

Offered forgiveness

Accepted apologies

Spoken words of love and encouragement

Made vows

Sworn and cut people down

gossiped

and kissed

With that mouth.

With those lips.

Now it is time to celebrate them.

Now, it is time to dress them up.

Show them off

and

SMILE.

Because,

your mouth

your lips

are not the enemy

They are not here to betray you

They are here,

to set you free

to help you celebrate,

to give you a voice

to enable you to express

All the truth that is YOU!

So put on your lipstick.

GO BUY A NEW TUBE

IN A NEW COLOR

MADE BY A DIFFERENT COMPANY,

to make your SMILE

more smile-y

more sparkly

more shiny

MORE LIKE YOU ARE

and ARE BECOMING

INSIDE!

PICK up another color today if you want

(Really, it's ok. You can DO this for yourself,

even though you have an almost new tube you just bought a week or two ago.)

You have my permission.

But please...USE it

and remember

EVERY time you put it on,

THAT YOU ARE

DRESSING

YOUR

MOUTH

You are taking care of your SMILE

You are tending to...

FEEDING your smile

your face

your countenance.

Remember how you changed the environment of your mouth with that gum? You changed the environment of your mouth, with the simple introduction of a piece of minty chewing gum.

With the lipstick, you are changing the environment of your MOUTH, your LIPS, your SMILE. You are making a decision to CHANGE....YOU! And every time you put something on your lips, you are doing this. NO matter what time of day it is, no matter what you are about to do, no matter why you are doing it...you are changing YOU when you put it on. Think about that each and every time you take out that tube----and apply this CHOICE, this DECISION to your lips.

And...think about your food, as it passes through those lips. Think about whether you are EATING or FEEDING yourself.

And...feel free to pull out that lipstick and put it on, as SOON as you are FED, so you don't go back for seconds, or cross over into EATING, when you really aren't hungry anymore.

For this week...your journal exercises....

1) Read your first page ALOUD, each day, using your MOUTH and LIPS to speak TRUTH to yourself.

2) Read the lists you have been working on from last week, ALOUD. Remind yourself of the things you have remembered and recorded about YOU. Keep working on your lists. Fill them and Add More!

3) Start keeping your lipstick/gloss/balm, wherever you keep your cellphone. DO NOT leave home without it. Keep it close at hand and APPLY it as often as you want!!!! And pop in a piece of chewing gum along with it.

4) Consider sharing this blog with a friend. Or your mom. Or your sister. Or (this is what I'd really like you to do, if you are in a position to do so), with your daughter. I have three daughters. They are young (7 year-old twins and a 10 year-old). Not yet teens. This week, I am going to buy them each a NEW Lip Smacker, and we are going to START putting it on, when they head out to school. To prepare their lips and mouths for the day. Not because they are on diets (GOD forbid!!!!), but because (you've gotten this by now, haven't you?), this isn't about a diet. This is about women, even very YOUNG WOMEN, knowing and celebrating themselves and connecting to the beauty within, which will ALWAYS end up showing on the outside....most obviously in their smiles!

5) Find an envelope, of any size, and tape or glue, it to the inside, back cover of your spiral notebook. Please TRY to put $1 in the envelope for every day of this month. I know, I know, I said this journey only costs $10, and that still holds true...but...if you can SQUEEZE out the extra buck, and it won't kill your budget---try to do this. One dollar a day. You will need about $30 by the end of the month (so you will need to add more than a dollar a day in order to catch up by October 1st). I'll tell you what it's for when you need to know (do you trust me?).

6) Turn to the first page of your notebook, where you have already written:

STOP EATING

START FEEDING MYSELF

and

This is not about my relationship with food.

It is about my relationship with My Self

and

I am not all that special. I am however, incredibly unique.

and write, along the bottom of the page:

It is time I start celebrating

and feeding my Smile

That's all.

Be Your Best,

Becky