Vixen Manual - Karrine Steffans [42]
Power is in ownership.
It is critical that we change our definition of worth.
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Chapter Seventeen
Physical Currency
Many of us have hang-ups about our physical appearance but aren’t driven to do anything about it. Women often reach a point in their lives where they feel there is no need to try anymore, especially after marriage and children. If anything, marriage, children, and the myriad excuses we make to justify letting ourselves go (“He loves me no matter how I look!”) should be the very reasons we become determined not to. The physical attributes a woman brings to her relationship at the beginning should only get better with time. A man doesn’t want to bring home a princess only to find out later that she has turned into a toad.
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Vixen Tip
Use your children as workout equipment! For infants, it’ll be a fun game of Superman or airplane, but for you it’s a workout. And with the older children and household chores, make everything you do for them part of your workout, as well. For instance, add squats to your laundry routine or leg lifts to your sweeping.
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Being physically fit and attractive are just as important as being emotionally sound. Your body should be in its best shape possible. And no, ladies, I’m not suggesting you starve yourself or anything like that. Not everyone can be a size four, nor are they meant to be. Whatever your weight and body type, you should constantly be working to make it better. Your man’s physical attraction to you, especially after being with you for a number of years, is very important to the health of your relationship. It should also matter to you for reasons relating to your own health. We all know that the way you look and feel can have a tremendous effect on your self-esteem. The longer your relationship lasts, the better it is to maintain an appearance as close to how you looked when you and your man first got together. Or better. So many women use children or work as an excuse to let themselves go. Because both work and children require a great deal of energy, these are excellent reasons to stay fit so that you can perform at maximum levels. We all secretly want other women to look at us and be inspired by our way of dress, style, and overall physical condition. We enjoy when another woman stops us on the street to say, “I love your hair,” or, “Where’d you get those shoes?” Most of all, we love when women—and men, for that matter— compliment us on our bodies. It is both attractive and unmistakable when you are healthy inside and out. Engaging in physical activities and knowing the importance of proper diet, vitamin intake, and drinking sufficient amounts of water are things we can all do to help ourselves feel and look more confident. Your man will appreciate a woman who takes pride in herself, and he will always be proud to have you on his arm.
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Vixen Tip
Hate swallowing pills? Try liquid vitamins in your morning juice!
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Vixen Tip
A surefire way to feel good about yourself isn’t to wait for someone to compliment you, but to compliment someone else.
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With all that we have to do on a daily basis, it may seem impossible to always look your best, but it’s not—difficult, yes, but far from impossible. It seems as if so many women have created a cop-out for themselves in order to not feel guilty about this very stealthy form of erosion of one’s self-esteem and worth. It’s not the kids’ faults or that your schedule’s too busy. It’s definitely not because of all the work you have to do around the house. There are no excuses! No matter what, ladies, you should never leave your house looking less than gorgeous. Even in sweats and a T-shirt, you can be beautiful! The definition of beauty has changed constantly over the years. It has gone from skinny to slim to fat and back to skinny. Beauty has been white, black, exotic, and domestic, but in magazines it’s always airbrushed and fully made up.
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Vixen Tip
I have a regimen that works