What happens when you choose to see the beauty in each day? Life changes before your eyes.
I am so thrilled you’re here and hope you find insights and inspiration that feed your soul and make you smile. This is how I arrived here…
After a traumatic birth experience with my firstborn son in 2003, I slipped into a deep and dark depression. Luckily, my baby and I went home from the hospital physically healthy. Mentally, however, I was incredibly fragile. After my maternity leave, I put a good face on at work and with friends, but was crumbling inside. When asked, I couldn’t think of a thing that brought me joy. I had always been a happy, positive person. But it felt like my spirit had been snuffed out, with no hope of finding it again.
By the time my son was two, I was practically numb. I couldn’t step foot in my OBGYN’s office without crying, but wasn’t sure why. She urged me to see a therapist; within an hour of meeting, the therapist diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and I took my first steps on the journey back to joyful living. It took a long time and a great deal of support, but I slowly emerged from the darkness I’d been living in.
One day, as I was leaving my therapist’s office, the inspiration for Choosing Beauty appeared. I was sitting in traffic when I noticed a huge, brilliant rainbow arching over the intersection. But none of the drivers around me seemed to notice; they were on their cell phones, applying makeup or staring blankly ahead. In that moment, I wished I had a camera to take a picture so I could share that gorgeous rainbow with others. I wondered what other amazing sights I had missed, having been stuck in the muck for so long. And then – clear as day – I heard someone or something whisper these words: “Take a picture of something beautiful every day for a year.” It was a voice I couldn’t ignore. I tried to find a photo album with 365 slots, but had no luck. Then, I heard about something called a blog – a simple web site where I could upload my pictures and thoughts.
I posted my first entry on my birthday – October 11, 2006 - and told a few friends about my new blog, then called One Year of Beauty. I thought it would be a good daily exercise for my soul, aiding my healing and allowing me to regularly reflect on my day. I quickly learned I was not the only one who needed healing or inspiration. Within weeks, the blog had attracted attention from newspapers and radio stations, as well as readers from around the world. It felt like a re-birth! By the end of my One Year of Beauty, noticing and relishing the little miracles in my midst had become habit for me and readers asked me to keep going.
Choosing Beauty, Inc. was born in 2007 as I left corporate life to focus full-time on inspiring others to change their lives by seeing the beauty – the magic, the miracles, the meaning – in their everyday lives. My work in this arena includes writing, speaking, consulting and creating inspirational art.
I have come to realize that the good life is made up of millions of little magical moments. They are always there, right under your nose, just waiting to be noticed. I’m so glad you’ve found Choosing Beauty and hope you’ll come back often and let me know you’re here. Let’s create an everyday beauty revolution!
Beauty & Blessings To You,
Liv Lane
liv@choosingbeauty.com
P.S. Need some guidance? I’ve compiled a list of my favorite resources related to birth trauma and postpartum depression.
