Recipe for Self - Part 2

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The Intellectual Self

It’s nothing to do with possessing a 140+ IQ score but more about the ability to think flexibly and creatively, to switch between tasks as needed and expand your knowledge and mindset.

"I was never the brightest kid in my class, at least in the subjects that were a benchmark of "intelligence", namely sciences and math. Even my father didn't pretend to have high hopes from me. Both my parents were not very comfortable with letting me go out of town for college. But they had to have a sound logic, and not a blatant admittance of their mistrust in me, to keep me in their sight and the most genius way was to put a minimum marks criteria. It was a brilliant move since the outcome was guaranteed (it speaks volumes of their confidence in my intelligence, although to be fair to them, I was not a brilliant scholar, anyway!!). They probably didn't intend it to be a reverse psychology motivation but that is what it turned out to be. To their utter shock I got the marks and had no choice but to let me out of their sight. Later in life, I did MBA (Ahem!), then went on to training students for CAT and MBA entrance tests and much later trained to become a counselor/motivator. The point I am trying to make is that I invested in myself to expand my knowledge and skill set."

When’s the last time you read a book simply for the joy of the subject? When is the last time you expanded your skill set outside of the workplace? Most of us do not take advantage of the enormous capacity we have to be life-long learners. We are either too busy updating our contacts or catching up on the latest pop culture misadventure. Staying intellectually stimulated isn’t just an exercise in self-indulgence; it will keep your brain nimble and healthy as you age.

The Physical Self

It is not just about being in shape (although it helps) but being comfortable in your body.

"This is for all the girls who lean into their bedroom mirror, wondering why she doesn’t look like a celebrity. Please know that nobody wakes up like this. Not even Beyoncé! Here’s the real deal: Before each public appearance, they spend 90 minutes in a makeup chair. Three to six people work on their hair and makeup, while a professional touches up their nails. Their eyebrows are tweezed and threaded every week. There’s concealer on parts of their body that they could never have imagined needed concealing. They probably follow a strict daily regime of waking up at 6 am and work-out for an hour. It’s someone’s full-time job to decide what they can and cannot eat. There are more ingredients in their face packs than in their food. There’s a team dedicated to finding flattering outfits for them and after all that, if they are still not “flawless” enough, there are generous servings of Photoshop. Basically, it takes an army, a lot of money and an incredible amount of time to make a celebrity look the way she does when you see her. It isn’t realistic, and it isn’t anything to aspire to. Aspire to confidence. Aspire to feeling pretty and carefree and happy, without needing to look any specific way." - Sonam Kapoor

So why not figure out how to not hold yourself to absurd standards of beauty? Instead be comfortable in your own skin. Why not feed it, water it and move it around a bit? That doesn’t only mean juice fasts, no carbs and a one-hour zumba class three days a week. It means getting connected to your body and finding a place where you are comfortable with yourself and how you move through the world.

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