BLOG HISTORY
WHY BEAUTY?
July 1, 2015 Wednesday
Hello Beautiful,
This year on our blog we have taken a topic a month and broken it down, sharing stories, giving encouragement and challenging us all to a more beautiful life. For the month of July, I think it is important for us to remember why we blog. Why are we “bringing beautiful back”? What is the purpose?
I don’t blog just to write. I could keep a journal if I wanted to do that. I do not blog because I want to be in the public eye or be famous or any of that nonsense. I blog because there is a void missing in our lives. I blog because we have forgotten what beauty is. We have forgotten what really matters, what is really important. This month I am going to bring us back to that purpose. Even I need reminded of what I do and what I am doing it.
Back to the Basics of Beauty
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
Life is crazy, full of demands. The older we get, the more demands there are of our time, money, talents ...
I often get so caught up in things that I forget I am a person. I am meant to enjoy life and live life too. I can spend my time helping others and working, doing this and that, but I must remember to enjoy the beauty of my life. To love my life. After all, this is the only one I will get.
As we go back to the basics of beauty this month, remember just how absolutely amazing and beautiful you are. As much as this life is about everybody else, it is about you too, beautiful.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
Why are we Bringing Beautiful Back???
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
BRINGING BEAUTIFUL BACK
July 6, 2015 Monday
Hello Beautiful,
I hope everyone, in the USA, had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I had a great time and a fantastic fireworks show.
Let’s Start @ Square 1:
Bringing Beautiful Back. Okay what does that mean? Are we no longer beautiful? Have we lost our beauty? Where did it go? What did it get replaced with? These are all questions you should ask yourself as you stumble upon my blog.
Hopefully, I will be able to answer all these questions and some. If you have any comments or questions for me, please feel free to contact me and I will either address you individually or answer it in the next blog.
Answer to Square 1:
Bringing Beautiful Back. I chose to name my blog this because I see a world full of beautiful people that either hate themselves, hide themselves or are taking on other identities trying to change themselves. I want everyone to realize how beautiful they are, as they are, who they are.
None of us is perfect. We all have flaws on our bodies or things that we are not satisfied with our bodies or our lives. But that is no reason to hate yourself. You are beautiful, you will see. Keep checking in this month to read more about how beautiful you are, beautiful.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
I HATE ME
July 7, 2015 Tuesday
Hello Beautiful,
None of us is perfect. We all have flaws on our bodies or things that we are not satisfied with our bodies or ourselves. But that is no reason to hate yourself.
I hated myself for years and wished I was dead. Yes, I have a pretty nice body (it used to be even nicer) and I look good but it did not matter because I still seen the flaws. In my head, they outweighed the beauty that was there.
Not only that but I hated who I was and the life that I lived. I am a naturally quiet person. I prefer to observe. But I always felt like a total loser because I was so quiet. I knew people thought that I was weird. I knew they did not like me. But I did not know how to really converse with people because I lived more in my head than in the world. I was too scared to even try to talk with people.
Rockin Kingdom Dezigns new skirt, "Prison Break"
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
I had to go through some very painful times and situations before I learned how to truly and completely love myself for who I am, before I could even see myself for who I really am and to see myself the way others see me and the way God sees me.
I know that you struggle with similar things. But listen to me when I say, it does no good to hate yourself. I hope you can learn to see yourself for the first time by reading these blogs and you can love what you see.
You are beautiful and so precious just as you are.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
SEX APPEAL
July 10, 2015 Friday
Hello Beautiful,
As construed as this is, we have been tricked into believing that we are only attractive if we have some sex appeal. Almost every movie that is produced has to contain nudity, sexual innuendos, sex and scantly dressed women.
“Sex sells” they say. If you want to make it big in any form of entertainment, you have to be willing to put your body on display for the world to see. You have to know how to pose, know how to look naughty, act naughty, be the bad girl.
We have traded beauty for a cheap imitation
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister, Photo Credit Gallant Images
I am a model, as most of you know. I am not a fan of taking photos in a bathing suit or turning on my sex appeal, or anything else that would make me look like a porn star instead of a beautiful woman. In modeling, they will make you think that you have to do certain things if you want to get anywhere. They will make you feel weird, outcasted if you do not do what all the other models are doing.
I for one am tired of people equating sex appeal to beauty. They are entirely two very different things. Being sexy is not beautiful. It is trashy and slut-like.
I did a photo shoot about a month ago in Orlando. I was excited about the shoot because it had been talked up to being a glamorous shoot. However, things changed and it turned out being a trashy shoot, bathing suits and all. Us models were expected to sell our bodies to the camera. The wise thing would have been for me to have left, but I did not want it to be a waste of gas so I went through with it, even though I was greatly annoyed and disturbed. (You can see one of the pics above).
That I can never erase. I was applauded by so many people because of these pictures. I guess they did not think that I had it in me to be sexy. But, you see, the thing is, we are fed SEX all day long. It is easy to be sexy, to show off your sex appeal. In this day and age, it is not easy to be beautiful. We have lost what it means to be beautiful. We have replaced beauty with a cheap, imitation called sexy.
I hope to make a better decision next time I am faced with such a thing. I hope you can see the difference or at least realize there is one. Go for what is beautiful. You will have more people be in awe and enraptured by you when you choose beauty than you will when you choose sexy.
Be beautiful, beautiful.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
MEDIA MESSAGES
July 12, 2015 Sunday
You are beautiful just as you are
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister, Photo Credit Brent Sheffield
Hello Beautiful,
I don’t have perfect skin. I am not the perfect weight. I am too tall. My features are too sharp. How do I know this? Well, the media tells me how I should look. I don’t look like those people that cover the pages of magazines.
That’s right. I have believed the messages that the media feeds to us. I did not believe I was beautiful because of this and because of that and all the things that I did or did not have that lined up with the faces of the media. I believed it and hated myself because of it.
Sometimes I still catch myself comparing myself to the media’s image of beauty and I have to stop myself before I take it too far. It is hard not to when their ideal image of beauty surrounds us and invades almost every area of our lives.
Far too many of us have accepted this image of “perfect” beauty and in turn have rejected ourselves by not being good enough, by not being beautiful. We have hated ourselves. Many of them still do hate themselves. The numbers of individuals that accept this as normal and learn to hate themselves is growing every day.
There is another sad part to this story. Those people you see as the “perfect” people are more often than not photoshopped: all blemishes, wrinkles and cellulite removed. Those people that stare at you from the pages of magazines hate themselves. Just as you do. They are told that they are not beautiful enough. They are not skinny enough. They are verbally abused and have a very difficult time accepting any part of themselves.
So those people that we idolize, that we long to look like, they do not even like the way they look. The message of “beauty” that the media feeds us is a BIG, fat lie. The sooner we learn that the better.
You are perfect just the way you are, beautiful. Please believe me.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
LIGHTBULB
July 14, 2015 Tuesday
Hello Beautiful,
Finding your purpose in life is like getting that ultimate AW-HA moment. Everything past, present and future makes sense. You know that you have a purpose in life, do you not?
Yes, we all do. Maybe you don’t know what your purpose is. That’s okay, you are not the only one. But purpose is tied to your beauty. You probably did not know that. Purpose, and helping others find their purpose or even realize that they have one, this is why I do what I do and why I write what I write.
Those that have discovered their purpose and have pushed past all the lies telling them what they are not, those able to live in their purpose: they are the most beautiful of all. They have discovered who they are and what they are.
That moment that you discover who you are ....
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
Do you not agree that if you have found your place in this life and were able to live in it, you would be the most beautiful that you have ever been?
The problem is, there are so many things trying to distract us from finding our true selves and finding our purpose. Many of the things that I have discussed already this month and the things to come, those are all things that are keeping us from stepping into the ultimate place of beauty.
I hope you are able to see this. It is such a simple message but the things that detour us are very convincing and very deceiving.
Beautiful, push past these things. Try with all your might so that you can step into who you are meant to be. You can do it, beautiful.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
WHY MARRIAGE?
July 17, 2015 Friday
Hello Beautiful,
This may seem completely off topic from what we are talking about but marriage is so important. There is a purpose behind marriage and the way that marriage is made to be has meaning.
This is not a bashing on anyone or the choices they have made in life. Please be open to what I write because it could make a difference in your life and in the lives of those you love.
There is a reason why marriage is meant to be between a man and woman. Married couples are meant to have children, to populate the earth, to carry on legacies and the family name. If you know anything about psychology and why people turn out the way they do, you know it has a lot to do with how they were raised. Babies, children, even teenagers need both a mother and a father when they are growing up.
Make wise decisions ...
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
We need a mother and a father because both have something different that we need in order to grow properly and fit in socially. Mothers nurture. Fathers cannot nurture like a mother does. Fathers provide safety, protection and acceptance. There are different roles that they play in raising their children. I know that many families now do not have both parents due to one reason or another.
If you come from a single parent home, you will admit that there is a lot that you missed out on. A lot that confuses, scares and possibly keeps you back from your purpose. I basically grew up with only my mom, because my parents got divorced when I was eight. I will admit that it screwed me up pretty badly. There are a lot of things I have to learn and unlearn. A lot of fear that has held me back from pursuing my purpose and a real relationship.
Marriage is a covenant. It is not meant to be broken. When it is broken, the children suffer as well as the parents. Step parents cannot take the place of real parents. I have had two step dads and neither wanted to be even the smallest of a fatherly figure. Do you know how unwanted that can make someone feel?
I wish we would all take marriage more seriously. I wish we would look at the long term effects that decisions have. Choices of the past cannot be unmade. But choices of today and of the future can be made wisely. Marriage is a very big decision. There is a right and a wrong, multiple wrongs, when it comes to marriage. Beautiful, please choose wisely for yourself and for all those in your life.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
WHAT IS TRUTH?
July 22, 2015 Wednesday
Hello Beautiful,
This topic is not going to be a popular one, think of it as a part two to the last post. We were talking about marriage and the importance of marrying the right person, sticking with that person and so on.
Marrying at the wrong time or to the wrong person can really get in the way or completely derail your purpose in this life and the purpose of those affected by the marriage or divorce.
There is a big debate on homosexual marriage right now. People that are not for the union are considered haters. And I do agree that many people have come against this topic the wrong way entirely.
You are strong. Stay persistant
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
When we come to the heart of the issue, the homosexual lifestyle is wrong. However, I do not have any less love for those that live that lifestyle. I love them just the same as I love everyone else. But the same thing that has happened with divorce in marriages is happening with homosexuality. It is a lifestyle that completely holds us back from discovering and living our purpose in this life. Those are not the only two things that hold us back. There is a long, long list of things that do keep us from living out our purpose. There is an enemy out there that is doing everything that he possibly can to keep you from feeling fulfilled and reaching your purpose in this life.
I bring up these two issues though because they are some heavy topics that have been sweeping the countryside. I understand that most people will not see what I mean, most people will not care. It seems that most people would rather do what is wrong anymore. Maybe we have lost our sense of right and wrong. We all want to live for ourselves. I agree that you should enjoy life and live it to the fullest. But at the same time we all must remember that the world does not revolve around us. There are people everywhere that need you in some way or another. Your purpose is what will help reach them.
Whatever you might be struggling with, beautiful, that is holding you back from your purpose, know that you are not alone and that you will make it through. Be persistant and be strong.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
HIDING
July 24, 2015 Friday
Hello Beautiful,
I like to hide. Not all of the time but most of the time. I like to get away from everyone and everything. Hiding is easy. There is no risk attached. No chance of getting hurt or broken. Hiding is great.
Hiding is not as great as it may seem. Most of the time I have to force myself to go against that feeling of needing to hide or I have to force myself out of hiding. I realize that I cannot build friendships and relationships when I am hiding. Sure, I can be pretty productive when I hide but eventually I have to come out of hiding if my productivity is ever going to be worth anything.
I see now that hiding has kept me back for far too long from living in my purpose. I was not made to hide. But I let fear get a hold of me and drive me into my “Me Cave.” None of us were meant to hide.
I am a talented Hider
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
Anytime the road ahead looks unsure or scary, any time I step into the unknown, I tend to draw back from everyone. I go into hiding. I normally end up there for months at a time. It is not healthy for me or wise for me. I see it as wasting a big portion of my life.
I think that so many of us have turned to hiding because it is easy, it is comfortable and it feels safe.
Hiding isn’t safe. It is a quick ticket to a life without any excitement, a life without any purpose. I hate to say it, but it turns into a life wasted.
I am tired of wasting my life. I am tired of hiding away because of fear. I need you beautiful people to help me stay out of my cave. I will be here for you, encouraging you to live a life free from the fear and with arms wide open.
Don’t be afraid to live, beautiful. And to live on purpose.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister
DOES IT MATTER?
July 28, 2015 Tuesday
Hello Beautiful,
I just want to be real with you. I struggle with the purpose of life and if what I do really matters or if I am just waisting my time.
I am somewhat of a downer if you get super close to me and you get a glimpse of what goes on inside. I have learned to be a very positive, happy person. Why? I know people are more drawn to that.
But truly, I am melancholy. I see life as unimportant if I am not working towards something of a greater impact. If I do not have a purpose in life (which I believe everyone does) than I would rather not be here. I have no need to be alive if I am just going to waste my time on something that will never matter.
I have talked with God a lot on this matter. I am not depressed. I am not wishing to die. I am not cynical or anything like that.
There is a purpose in this, beautiful
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
I just see no purpose in living life if there is no purpose.
I have recently relocated myself very abruptly. I am starting life over, in a way. Completely. It is scary. It has been difficult. I have felt very alone. I have wondered if there is a purpose behind it all.
I am starting to see the picture come together. I am beginning to see the purpose behind this crazy leap that I took. But before I was able to, I wanted out. I wanted out of life. Take me to Heaven. There is no purpose. Or so I thought.
I am thankful that God always has a plan, even when I cannot see it. He always has a purpose for what he is doing. Even when I cannot feel it.
No matter where you are in life, beautiful, there is still a great purpose for you. Try not to lose hope. Try not to lose sight. Life is beautiful.
Love,
Karissa "Beautiful" Hagemeister