It takes great courage to know who you are, and even greater courage to live your truth. Getting to know yourself and knowing how your talents, personality and spirit are best expressed in the world takes time, patience and perseverance. Warrior beauty is unique and individual, yet selfless. It’s not about perfection; it’s about understanding and acceptance. Do you know who you are? What kind of person do you aspire to be? Do you know the contribution you want to make, the legacy you want to leave for the Earth? Warrior beauty is about discovering your unique self, being a positive role model for environmentally conscious behaviour, knowing what unique gifts and skills you possess that can create awareness and change in the world, and making a commitment to the causes you believe in.

I love this video The Story of Change from Annie Leonard and The Story of Stuff team. It encourages us to go further than simple behaviour change and conscious consuming to creating real change in the world by challenging our current economic paradigm, by becoming ‘change-makers’ – investigators, communicators, builders, protesters, nurturers and networkers, depending on your particular gifts. We also need artists, writers and people in business to raise awareness about environmental and social issues. If you are an artist, use your creative medium. If you are a writer, use the written word to communicate with others. Use your business skills to create an ethical business and donate a percentage of revenue to environmental conservation.

Here is my blueprint for warrior beauty:

A warrior is young at heart, but an old soul. Her beauty is timeless. She has exceptional strength of character, defined by her wisdom, integrity and purity of heart. She is strong yet sensitive, tender yet tough, compassionate but discerning. Her beauty is found not in her facial features, but in the spirit and the life that animates her eyes and lights up her smile. She cares deeply for the Earth, the animals and the children; she is a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. She is a protector, a nurturer, a healer. She is the legacy she leaves.

She is not defined by how much money or possessions she has, but on her strong values and the way she treats others. She gives back to the Earth, in gratitude for what she receives in order to survive – she understands life is sustained this way. She wants to make a valuable contribution to the world through her work. She invests her financial funds in companies that conserve and protect the environment and support ethical business practices. She has healthy financial habits and understands the true value of money as spiritual and emotional currency.

She prefers substance over surface. She is not impressed by fast cars, fancy clothes and flashy exteriors. She prefers quality over quantity, simplicity over excess. She knows we must always speak our truth, but that our actions say far more about who we are than our words. She embraces a life of simplicity, but not of deprivation. She understands the role technology plays in her life and uses it wisely – she doesn’t worship a technology that discourages intimacy and compromises on connection and communication. She knows we cannot own the Earth – we are the custodians and stewards. She fights for the causes that mean the most to her, and knows the world needs warriors of protection and peace, encouraging others to take action.

She chooses ethically produced clothing, that doesn’t exploit others or the Earth. Her style is not dictated by season, the latest fashion or by what a designer tells her she should be wearing. She creates her own individual signature style, based on the knowledge and experience of what suits her best, her face shape, her body, her lifestyle and her inner muse. Her style is classic, timeless and elegant. She prefers clothing with the perfect cut and stitching, that is well-made and will last for years. She opts for natural, organic, plant-based fibres and fabrics and non-toxic, vegetable-based dyes. She creates a capsule wardrobe of pieces that allow her to express her highly creative self, one that complements the way she holds herself, her dignity and her grace.

She follows a predominantly plant-based diet and nourishes her body with organically grown food. She endorses eating nutritious food, and she understands how important it is to keep her body, the soil, the water, the air, and the Earth healthy. Her approach to nutrition is simple – she prefers to spend more on high quality, organic whole foods that nourish her skin from the inside and provide the building blocks for healthy cells and a healthy glow, and spend less on skin care. She invests in her health because she knows good health is one of her greatest assets. She moves her body through regular physical exercise. Her beauty is earthy and grounded. She loves yoga and walking barefoot, making a deep connection with her body and with the Earth. She prefers to be surrounded by nature and understands the power of natural settings to heal her soul. She aligns herself with the energies and rhythms of nature.

She endorses the concept of preventative medicine, keeping her body healthy and her immune system strong and resistant to dis-ease. She prefers natural remedies and therapies to heal and balance herself on a physical, emotional and spiritual level, based on a holistic understanding of health and the plant sciences – aromatherapy, herbalism and naturopathy. She wears minimal makeup, allowing her skin to breathe. She doesn’t believe animals or the Earth should suffer for her beauty; she uses cosmetics and skin care that are not tested on animals and don’t contain animal ingredients or harsh, chemicals that poison her, the ocean and the Earth.

Who are you? Define yourself and your identity. Create a blueprint for your life and be the master designer of that life. Live it every day. Be a positive role model to others. Walk your talk in the world.

© 2014 Environmental Warrior
Photo by Rula Sibai on Unsplash