Skin Care & Your Mind - Part II

A few days ago, I threw around some thoughts about skin care and how it relates to the mind. If you haven’t read Part I of this post, please do so now.

Let’s now look at the final step.

Step 3: Moisturise

Three words – Oh.My.God! I used to wonder what all the brouhaha was about the moisturiser thing till I discovered it for myself. Let me tell you an open secret: Nobody’s skin glows naturally. (Yeah, I said it). You know, that shiny thing that celebrities’ skin do? Well, (apart from the foundation, concealer, bronzer, spray tan and God knows what else), it’s called moisturiser. A good moisturiser does two things:

*It feeds your skin with essential nutrients and vitamins

*It protects your skin from the harmful effects of the sun and other aggressors in the atmosphere.

You ‘moisturise’ your mind by doing the same thing, i.e. feeding your mind with positive thoughts. Read great books and magazines. Watch great movies. Listen to great music. Fill your senses with the best and your mind is well on its way to being in tip-top shape. Apart from feeding your mind, you also have to protect it. Just like sunlight and dust are unavoidable, some people and situations will come and try to force the wrong thoughts into your mind. They may try to distract you from the goals you set for yourself. You have to consciously reject these.

A story with a lesson…

When I was initially shopping for a moisturiser, I remember rejecting the cream my regular skincare lady gave me. I looked at the bottle and the ingredients, and I knew something was off, even though it was the same brand as my toner. I went to another store (go Foodco!), and there I found the product I currently use, which, I dare say, has me hooked for life.

About a week ago, I was running out, so I decided to go back to the same shop to get a new one. I searched high and low, but couldn’t find it. A shop attendant came by:

“Please may I help you?”

“I’m looking for moisturiser.”

“Ok, they’re here.”

She pointed me towards a row of creams – skin-lightening aka BLEACHING creams (Why do people assume dark skinned girls are always looking to get lighter? On second thought I don’t blame her. Even our governor is a blatant bleacher.)

I shake my head firmly. “No thanks, this is not what I’m looking for. I’ll check back later.”

The lesson to the story…

You must know what is good for your mind, what has worked for you over time. Stick to it. You may try new things, but only those that feel right to you. Be highly selective about what you allow to enter into your thought space.

In choosing and walking your career path, for example, the people who know you best will assume they know what’s best for you. With good intentions, they will try to share (and may even force) their ideas on you. If you know in your heart that you want something different, IGNORE THEM.

This sounds a bit like theory, so let me get practical.

I recently started doing some work for a company. I love the work, and as of now I am not being paid for it. I spend my own money on internet, transport, phone calls – mostly minor expenses. My mum thinks I’m crazy, and never fails to remark disdainfully about “that guy who’s not paying you”. I effectively tune her out on that, because she doesn’t understand that for me, the reward of this work is beyond the money. For example, within a few weeks since I started, the weight of my network has at least doubled, and I have markedly improved my creative and problem solving skills. Can money buy these? I think not. Anyway, eventually I will be paid, so the cash issue is temporary.

That was a bit of a ramble, but I hope thou gettest my point.

As I said earlier, people and situations will never fail to have expectations of you, but DON’T LET THE SHOP ATTENDANT SELL YOU BLEACHING CREAM BECAUSE YOU'RE DARK-SKINNED. I guess a word is enough for the wise.

Cleanse, tone and moisturise consistently, twice a day, morning and night for a month, and I guarantee that you’ll notice a dramatic change in the quality of your thoughts and actions. Or your money back. Great, healthy looking skin speaks for itself. So does a great, healthy mind.

That’s That!

Skin Care & Your Mind - Part I

Recently I started to consistently take care of my skin, and so far it's clearer than it has ever been – there’s this glow that seems to come from underneath my skin. Eyin peeps please note: I’m not claiming to have skin as great as Beyonce’s o! All I’m saying is that there’s been a huge improvement since I started sticking to my skincare plan.

So Dami, why are you going on about your skin? Nobody cares!

I’m going somewhere, I promise. Before you hit the ‘x’ button on the upper right hand corner of this page, stick with me for a minute.

I’ve been following the age-old, time-tested, three-step plan. It is:

Step 1: Cleanse

Step 2: Tone

Step 3: Moisturise

“Cleanse, tone and moisturise”, I used to hear all the time, but I never gave it any thought till recently when I started it, and damn, that *bleep* works!

Ehen, Dami? What does all this have to do with the price of boli and groundnut?

The other day I was thinking about my skin, and a light bulb went off in my head. If I start to take care of my MIND as routinely and consistently as I do my SKIN, in no time the results will be obvious – I will have a glowing mind!

Let’s review the steps.

Step 1: Cleanse

We need to cleanse our skin because during the course of the day, it picks up particles which clog up the pores.

In the same way, our minds are inundated with junk everyday. Images, sounds, textures, smells and tastes find their way in, and they have a tendency to clutter our minds. Whether you're male or female, you MUST wash your face at least once a day (I hope). Cleansing is a need, it is the BAREST minimum.

How do you ‘cleanse’ your mind? As soon as you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed:

• Think of something you’re truly grateful for, and say a word of thanks

• Forgive & release any grudges you may have picked up during the course of the day

• Pray

The general theme here is to get rid of negative thoughts; to de-congest your mind and fill it with positive energy.

Step 2: Tone

I definitely wasn’t into this skincare step, but the truth is your cleanser will only go so far. Toner goes deep into your pores to clean out the places where soap and facial wash cannot reach. It also tightens your pores, and conditions your skin.

How do you condition your mind to get the best out of it?

• Meditate (on a Bible verse, a quote, an idea). Meditation is simply thinking (and saying) something over and again until it overwhelms you. Meditation requires concentration and effort. But when it is done, it opens up ‘old’ ideas in new ways. It’s not easy initially. There will be so many thoughts competing for your attention. But practice with five minutes, then ten and continue until you master the art of meditation.

• Plan and Prepare: In the same way you do to your skin, you need to condition your mind for success. After you’ve meditated (it could even be during), pull out your vision board, your journal, your laptop or whatever and write down your goals. It could be “send encouraging texts to five friends today”, or “read Half of a Yellow Sun next week” or “buy dream home in two years”. When you plan, take your big dream(s) and give life to them by dividing them into smaller, measurable goals. In this case, smaller goals could be “buy 200 Naira airtime on the way to work”, and “visit Lola tomorrow to collect the novel”, and “speak to mentor next Wednesday about how to increase my income”. Notice that all the goals here, both great and small, have a timeline.

The point of meditation, planning and preparation is to bring to your awareness, thoughts and corresponding actions that will push you forward on your journey to success. I started to do it (slightly) consistently, and I realised that I became more focused and balanced. I would ask myself “does this add value to me? How does this relate to my long-term goals?”

Let me stop here for now.

In Part II, I’ll focus on the final step of daily skincare. It’s even more exciting than the first two! Can you guess how it relates to your mind?