  'Build a better you,' the advertisement screamed in bold letters. On the radio, a soft voice cooed, 'Take inches off your waistline with this nourishing drink.' The TV screen showed the figure of a man and woman in well-fitting sports-wear, their bodies the picture of physical perfection. All love a beautiful body. There is no room for the ugly or the imperfect in this world. There are dozens of books written on how to lose weight, exercise machines to build the body. There are weight loss clubs, spas and saunas, all designed to take off the inches and kilograms. Beauty parlours invite us to groom, tune and prune the body. A healthy lifestyle is necessary if we are to survive to old age. Self-care is essential for a healthy lifestyle and mental well being, become self -absorbed to the point where we obsess with overweight, health and looks. All kinds of illnesses, real and imaginary, overtake us. It is just as important what we feed the mind. Self-esteem and a positive attitude are vital building blocks for a healthy mental state. Add to those blocks by forgiving imagined hurts and letting go our pet hates. Deal with fear and anxiety. An optimistic and confident frame of mind will strengthen us mentally and increase our health. For good mental health, the need to fill the mind with words and images that create emotional strength and balance is beneficial. The mind can be stunted and weakened as well as the body and fed the right diet. Following our emotions can lead us down the road to mental instability. The balance between emotions and logic is needful. Fear is a negative emotion and can hold us back from realizing our full potential in marriage, career and family and yes, daily living. Love is a powerful emotion. Love requires a person to open themselves up and risk getting hurt. We will never find true Love if we close up our hearts to others and ourselves. Love is a potent ingredient for a healthy self-care program. Love governs the emotions; it replaces hate and fear and gives us healthy self-esteem. Love puts balance into living. We may choose to do yoga, religion, join sports clubs, or work for charitable causes, which are commendable and helps keep the balance between self-absorption, selfishness and Introducing a healthy self-care program : 1. Seek and Find peace; a deep inner peace that is not rocked by tragedy, trauma, cross-lotto, or job promotion or demotion. To find such a calm, first find Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Here is what the Bible says about Peace, Philippians 4: 7 'And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.' 2. Seek and Find Love: 'There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in Love. We love because he (Jesus) first loved us…' 1 John 4: 18. 3. Seek and Find a Relationship: Jesus is not a religion nor a theological concept. He is a person whom we can intimately relate to. The relationship begins the moment when a person believes in their heart of hearts that Jesus is the Lord and God raised him from the dead. You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.' (Hebrews 11: 6 LB) Following this step is the need to realize 'I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' (Galatians 2: 20 LB ) The philosophers comfort us by saying beauty is only skin deep. Others declare its the inner beauty that shines through that makes a beautiful person. It is Jesus who passed on his goodness to me when I believed. The beauty that Jesus gives won't win any beauty or popularity contests in this life. I have Jesus' beauty, peace and joy. That is more than anything that I can do to make myself beautiful. Whether inside or outside. 
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