Self-Discovery in the Modern World: Who Are You Really?
Advertisements are constantly telling us who we are, or who we should be.
Commercials tell us we need more stuff, social media tells us we should look a certain way, and society generally accepts these propositions without question.
But let’s stop and ask ourselves – why?
Why do we as women need to wear makeup? Do we need to shave our armpits, our legs, our bikini line? Why do we need to dye our gray hair? Do we really need to straighten our hair, plump our lips, botox our wrinkles, lose weight?
The truth is, we don’t. Only the makers and marketers of those products have something to gain (money). We simply lose our time, money, and self-esteem.
Who are you? Who are you really? At your core?
You are not a walking billboard for someone else’s products. We don't have to be some replicated result of an imposed standard of beauty.
You are love and you are light. You're a special star that shines all on your own without the need for any bells and whistles.
If it makes you feel good to wear makeup or fix your hair a certain way, then by all means do it. Just make sure that you are doing it for yourself, not just mindlessly following the “rules” imposed on your gender, age, etc. You are free to live by your own definition of success.
Everybody is beautiful. Everybody. And this world needs your uniqueness. You have a flavor and flair that is different from anyone else’s. Embrace that X-factor that makes you, you and share it proudly.
I stopped shaving and dying my hair back in 2020 and it is still perceived as almost an act of rebellion. People have reactions of shock, disgust, and even anger.
But it’s not their fault that they initially feel this way. They have been conditioned their whole lives to see certain things as acceptable and others as taboo. These things take time to change.
Now that people are feeling more comfortable identifying with non-traditional labels, I think the general consciousness is shifting. But you don’t need to be anything specific in order to embrace the unconventional.
I am a straight, 42-year-old woman and I consider myself to be feminine. I simply don’t shave, get plastic surgery, dye my hair, or wear makeup. It saves me time, effort, money, and frees me up to do more meaningful things with this short time I have here on Earth.
This “crunchiness” extends into other parts of my life as well. And it’s not just on principle. It’s to protect myself. Do you know what kind of poison is lurking in your self-care products, your food, your clothes, your household items?
Things are not the way they used to be. Modern merchandise contains more unhealthy additives and contaminants than older versions of the same products. Food has become less nutritious over the past 70 years, and consumption of processed foods is at an all-time high. Harmful chemicals, dangerous dyes, and bioengineered ingredients have become the norm.
Most commercial beauty products also contain toxic ingredients that can interfere with our hormones and are known to cause serious illnesses such as cancer. Don’t let the marketing of these products fool you into a false sense of security. They are not good for your body or your soul.
Companies have worked really hard and spent a lot of money to keep the truth hidden. For example, most people don’t stop to think about where their meat comes from.
Most fast-food restaurants, dine-in restaurants, and grocery stores sell meat that comes from factory farms. These animals suffer in deplorable conditions and die inhumane, unimaginable deaths. When you consume this meat, you also consume the suffering of that animal.
Many commercial products also still conduct animal testing -- an antiquated, barbaric, unnecessary practice that again causes suffering and trauma on a massive scale, not only to the animals that are exploited, but also to you as the unwitting consumer of these products.
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. When you apply commercial lotions, perfumes, deodorants, and makeup, you are introducing toxins to your body as a whole. Any one thing on its own is probably not a life-or-death big deal, but when you are constantly bombarded day in and day out with a multitude of untold poisons, your body can only do so much to fight them off and keep you healthy.
I am convinced that the reason why so many people are sick with cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, etc. is due to the modern world. A lot of things that used to be “healthy” back in the day have now been reformulated to lower cost, lower quality versions that pose a threat to your immune system.
So, what can you do to protect yourself?
Start reading labels. Research. Gravitate towards whole, organic food. Make your own stuff.
Think for yourself –it’s not illegal yet.
It’s pretty easy to make your own skin care products. And it is the only way to be sure that you aren’t putting toxins in your body.
Did you know that the FDA does not regulate cosmetics? Also, makers of these commercial products are not required to disclose all the included ingredients. For example, to protect what are called trade secrets, companies are allowed to hide up to 200 harmful chemicals behind the term, “fragrance”. So, you don’t know exactly what you are putting on or in your body.
I make my own bath products, skin care, laundry detergent, and food with natural ingredients. And you can too. You don’t have to go crazy, even small changes-- one or two swaps can make a huge difference.
Here are some of my favorite simple and natural recipes. I have included links to some of the products I used, which are on Amazon:
Recipes
Face Oil: Mix castor oil, carrot seed oil, coconut mct oil, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and frankincense oil.
Hair Oil: Mix castor oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil, pumpkinseed oil, coconut mct oil, rosemary, peppermint, and lavender essential oil.
Body Butter: Melt mango butter and beeswax, add jojoba oil & mix.
Tinted Lip Balm: Soak 1 tbsp beetroot powder overnight in 2 tbsp castor oil, scoop out beetroot that has settled to bottom and combine with melted mango butter or cocoa butter and beeswax, optional: add peppermint extract (food grade).
Soap: Mix ½ cup distilled water, ¼ cup castile soap, 1 tbsp castor oil, 10 drops frankincense and 5 drops lavender essential oil.
Shampoo: Boil ½ cup calendula flowers in 3 cups water for 1 hour, strain and then while warm, mix in 1 tbsp coconut milk powder until dissolved. Add ¾ cup castile soap, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, fill rest of bottle with distilled water.
Laundry Detergent: Mix 1 cup Epsom salt, 1 cup dead sea salt, 3 cups washing soda, 3 cups baking soda (I get this from Costco), 30 drops essential oil, optional: grate 1 bar castile soap & mix. Use 1/4 cup per load.
Bath Soak: 1 cup Epsom salt, 1 cup dead sea salt, 1 cup pink Himalayan salt, 1 tbsp kaolin clay, 1 tbsp coconut milk powder, optional: dried flowers, essential oil.
Room Spray: Fill 1/3 of spray bottle with witch hazel, 30-50 drops essential oil, fill rest of bottle with distilled water.
Roll-on Perfume: 10-15 drops essential oil, fill rest of roller with sweet almond oil.
Air Purifying Candles: Melted beeswax and coconut oil (about half and half), optional: essential oil.
No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread: Mix 3 cups King Arthur bread flour, 1¼ tsp salt, and 1 packet rapid rise yeast. Add approximately 2 - 2 1/4 cups warm water (it will be sticky)—mix with wooden handle of spatula and cover with saran wrap and a towel, let sit on top of oven heated to 250 for 2 hours. Dust dough with a small amount of flour and shape into round/loaf --don't worry about shape, does not have to be perfect at all! Bake on parchment paper lined sheet tray at 450 for 40 minutes. Let cool for at least half an hour before cutting.
Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Bars: Smash two bananas, mix in ¼ cup natural peanut butter, 1 cup rolled oats, and ¼ cup chocolate chips. Spread thin on parchment paper lined sheet tray and bake for 30 minutes at 350.
Sweet Potato: Wash, poke holes and bake on top of parchment paper lined sheet tray at 375 for 30-45 minutes. Flip over halfway.
Fries: Wash and cut 2 Russet potatoes in half (longways), then half again, then half again. Soak in cold water for 1 hour, dry, and then coat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread out on parchment paper lined sheet tray and bake for 40 minutes at 375. Flip over halfway. Top with sea salt.
Chocolate Bark: Melt chocolate on low heat stovetop, pour onto parchment paper lined sheet tray and while warm, sprinkle pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, and almonds on top, refrigerate.
No Waste Whole Chicken: Cut and separate as follows. Legs and wings -season and bake in oven on parchment paper lined sheet tray at 350 for 1 hour. Breasts- cut strips, season, and cook in pan on stovetop with olive oil. (My seasoning: Legs and wings- salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, black pepper, paprika, Breasts: salt, cayenne pepper). Carcass- Place in crock pot with enough water to cover chicken, sea salt, and chopped garlic. Cook for 2 hours on high. After 1 hour, use spoon to scrape scum off top, repeat 2-3 times until broth is clear. Remove carcass, let cool, then pick off remaining meat and add to broth. After cooking breasts in olive oil, pour broth in pan while hot to absorb frond. Enjoy broth as soup with some greens, noodles, etc. or use to make quinoa/rice.
Vegan chili: Cut assortment of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, place in crock pot with canned whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes and a chopped jalapeno. Cook for 2 hours, then add canned black, pinto, or tri-color beans and cook for another hour. Optional: season with salt, chili powder and paprika. Vegetarian option: use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for additional protein.
Salad: Chop romaine lettuce, collard greens, spinach, kale, purple cabbage, and any other veggies of choice, top with grated parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes and mix with dressing of choice (I like Caesar).
Morning tonic: Cut and smash turmeric and ginger root, boil in 5 cups of water for 1 hour, strain and mix in a pinch of black pepper, 1-2 tbsp ceylon cinnamon (reheat to dissolve), and 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (honey optional). Drink 1 cup in the morning, add juice of 1/2 lemon.
Natural headache remedy: Fill large bowl with ice water and submerge face for a few seconds.
Cleaning spray: Orange or lemon peels, white vinegar, distilled water.
Bamboo toilet paper: Did you know that regular toilet paper not only contributes to deforestation, but also contains PFAS, chlorine, bleach, and formaldehyde?
Thanks for reading! If you're interested in furthering your self-discovery journey, check out the instant download PDF of 70 self-discovery questions & 100 core values available in my Etsy shop:
