Time Tested Beauty Tips
BY SAM LEVENSON
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good
in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with
the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his
or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll
never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be
restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping
hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that
you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping
others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the
clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the
doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial
mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring
that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman
with passing years only grows!
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NOTE: Names have been changed.
We are constantly thinking, but most of the time our thoughts come and go too fast for us to really notice them. Sometimes all we notice are the emotion(s) they leave behind. All three parts of our health (not including spiriitual) influence each other, and so what we feel will influence what we do or say, because we will be thinking about that emotion. When I was 12, my best friend started hanging out with a popular classmate named Anne. Anne seemed like she had the world in her hand, and my friend was attracted to the idea of being popular as everyone is at some point. My friend had asked me to be a part of their fun, and I accepted. Annie was real sweet on the phone and to my face, but she seemed unbearably close to my friend. I was envious. Then I realized that behind her back, Annie was making fun of her, laughing at her because of her Dyslexia. One day, I did something that shocked everybody and it spread like wildfire through the student body to the point where no one wanted to include me in anything. I was ignored, because Anne and her group talked my friend into not forgiving me when I apologized. I tried to tell my friend what Annie was doing behind her back, but she wouldn't listen. No matter how many times I said sorry, no one would listen. I'd get terrible looks which made me feel worse. Finally I went home and sobbing, told my mother what was happening, because up until then she had no idea. She suggested I call my friends mom, and I did. I was sobbing through the entire call. My mother read me 1 Corinthians 13:4. When I got to school the next day, my friend came up to me and hugged me. Her mom read the same verses to her. When Annie came up to us that day, I confronted her. She huffed and then said that she never liked anyone with a disability. Taken aback, my friend was ready to pounce on her, but I simply whispered, "turn the other cheek," and she submitted to my counsel. To everyone's shock, I asked Annie if she'd like to eat lunch with us. When she asked why, I said I forgave her. Stunned, Annie said nothing, but turned and laughed the embarrassment off with her group. "I know what drugs can do. They're no party." - Sarah Hamlin NOTE: The name Mary is used to protect the privacy of the person. ![]() My birth mother's heavy drug addiction is said to have had a profound role in causing the prematurity which lead to my Cerebral Palsy at birth. I learned this in the privacy of my room when I was 14-years-old and it was hard to swallow. I was angry at first... How could she?! But the more I thought about it, I realized it could've turned out a ton worse. It didn't. I felt like I wanted to ban all drugs ever made, and every time I saw someone smoking, I'd cringe. They don't know. But it took me a while to really realize just how rough addiction is and how hard it is to quit. I remember watching an educational video on the subject while in school at one point, and I started to think about how addiction affects the body and mind. Some people get to the point where the addiction runs every aspect of their life, and the more I read about cravings and withdrawal, the more I started to rethink my views regarding addicts. A few months after I learned that my birth mom was an addict, I changed my heart. I thought about what could have caused her to get addicted. There might've been a variety of reasons, including domestic abuse, poor self-image or loss of hope. Some people are surprised when I tell them I'm not angry at her. I started to use this as a driving force behind my desire to educate others about the affects of drug abuse and addiction. So many young kids think it's funny when they joke that they or someone else is a "crack head", and they don't realize how offensive that is until I ask them point blank, "do you want to know how I got in this chair?" That's when their faces turn red and their smiles fade. It's not a joke. I remind them that every thought we have determines our future actions in the next second, which can either help us excel or ruin our lives, or the lives of those after us. My life wasn't ruined, but for my first for years it wasn't like walking with sunshine on my shoulders either; I could not move my legs or sit up independently, and for a time, it wasn't known whether or not I would be cognitively aware. By the grace of God, only my limbs were affected. In my Sophomore Year of high school, I met a classmate in my Spanish class. Her name was Mary, and when she leaned over to talk to a friend, I overheard her say that she was a meth addict and smoker. My heart lurched. Dear God. I was 16, and she was also. We got talking, and she said she was desperately trying to make up her absence work, after being suspended for smoking on school property. Eventually, she hesitantly asked me why I was in a wheelchair and I told her about my birth mom, the lack of oxygen, the prematurity and diagnosis. I also informed her that whatever the expectant mother happens to ingest so does her unborn baby to some extent. Mary froze. We befriended each other shortly after our first conversation, and as time passed, she opened up to me more. She had endured the terrible, tragic loss of a loved one to suicide not that long before, and was also experiencing convulsions from time to time, probably as a result of the meth. In April that year, her boyfriend was killed in an freak accident. Mary went on suicide watch again. Miranda Kerr, a prominent face in the modeling industry, had completely changed my perspective on life when she sent me a free, autographed copy of her book, "Treasure Yourself" only a few months before meeting Mary. In her book, Kerr writes about her dark days following the sudden death of her first boyfriend, amongst other challenges. I immediately purchased another copy of the book and surprised Mary with it as a gift that June. It felt so incredible to give. Not only that, but the Kerr Family made sure to send their thoughts and positive vibes to Mary. It was uplifting to see the smile on Mary's face. She had seen the video about Kerr's story, but was absolutely shocked to get her book and to know that Miranda was supporting her as well during the difficult time. Presently, Mary has a new perspective. Still grieving her loss, and understandably so, she wrote me to tell me she was home sick, but for some reason was genuinely smiling... For the first time in a very long time. She now is in a relationship and told me that she is absolutely blessed. Every decision you make will impact your life in either a positive or negative way. But they will change future generations too. I should know. I can't walk. I can only use my left arm. I'm seventeen and women are still dressing me, bathing me, carrying me. I can't let go without collapsing to the floor. Oxygen to my brain was severely restricted. I have Cerebral Palsy. I am the biological daughter of a drug addict. I know what drugs can do. They're no party. "Starting out, I thought I had to save the whole world, when in fact, I realized that with everything I do, I impact one person at a time. And then one person follows and tells another, and another until a great positive movement of self-discovery takes place." - Sarah Hamlin I was 7 when I first started being asked to promote products, sport or organizations, and even though nothing really kicked off until I was 10, it was still a very overwhelming time in my life. I thought it was incredible that I was in the newspaper and on TV, but as every one knows, the thrill soon wears off, and the excitment I felt left like a thunderclap. I was around 14, when the state senator sent me a personal letter of congrats, enclosed with a lamented newspaper cutout of me. My teacher had discretely asked me to leave the room because there was newspaper photographers wanting my picture for an award I won in a national competition. Some students gave me nasty looks as I left.
That same year, a staff photographer from the newspaper came to do an article on a local adaptive skiing program and was interested in filming me and doing an interview. I agreed, but was a little annoyed when people above me on the ski lifts were pointing at me and focusing their cell phone cameras. My face was very protected by gear, and combined with the camera man, I was most likely mistaken for some well-known person. But waiting in line at the lift, I lowered my mask and two girls snapped a quick photo. Even if they were staff, they never asked. I asked my instructor if we could go somewhere further away from the ski lifts, and I was glad that we were too fast for a clear photo up above. Around this time, I started doubting my strength. I started wondering if I was worthy of everything I was doing, and the more things I did in the media, the more I thought I needed to put on a mask and be this perfect person. As time went the opportunities presented to me grew in importance. I started doing radio interviews when I was 15. Because I now knew that people actually cared about what I had to say, I got in my head that I had to speak perfectly and sound older than I was. But th more attention that I spent trying to control silly things like that, the more insecure and nervous I got. Finally, after supermodel, Miranda Kerr reached out to me that year, I realized that authenticity is what people want and admire the most. Kerr is one of the most famous models in the world, and as such was extremely busy. People would flock for a product just because she promoted it. It is really easy to get caught up in fame and fortune, but Kerr stayed humble and grounded. I realized that she reached out with her heart to something she cared about, and was not doing it for attention. Because of this, I broke down in joyous sobs during a radio interview. People like grounded and genuine people with emotions and indviduality. That's what set Kerr apart from most Hollywood. With this in mind, I then took a step back and was able to ask myself, "why am I doing this?" Why were people wanting me to promote their stuff, when they could have a professional do it? Simple, because it was something I truly believed in. Because I was believable. Even so, when I was approached with the request to be on the cover of a local magazine, I was a little shocked and a bit scared. I didn't look like some model on a runway and I had never once told myself I was pretty. But the magazine wanted me because they knew what people really wanted. I had developed a positive, role model reputation in my community, and they wanted to help fuel that. That's when I started thinking about other causes I felt were important. Having tried taking my life myself, I became very interested in related organizations. When I heard that Kid's Helpline Australia was looking for photos of all who supported Youth Suicide Prevention, I took advantage of the opportunity and sent in my photo. The result was a "Too Many Too Soon" commercial aired Australia-wide. Though I was one of thousands, the commercial zooms out to show a photomosaic of a young girl who had committed suicide. This had a profound affect on me. I now am a public speaker. It blesses my heart when people write me and tell me that I inspire them, particularly young teens and children who are touched by what I have to say. I love it when kids come up to me and ask me questions or when the crowd I am speaking to tears up. It's a reminder to stay authentic and humble. I recently was written to because a little girl wanted to meet me, and was also able to bless another young girl with an autographed photo. A few months ago, I was asked by someone if they could put a quote of mine on their leg braces. In the past couple of years, I was so very blessed to have reached several other celebrity names with my cause. All this made me think about how, starting out, I thought I had to save the whole world, when in fact, I realized that with everything I do, I impact one person at a time. And then one person follows and tells another, and another until a great positive movement of self-discovery takes place. I think I'm making my mark for the right reasons. |
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