~ Nicole Serafin (Age 19) ~
Unhappy and discontent with life.
I recently felt to participate in a ‘Before and After’ Project that Universal Medicine (UniMed) is creating, which involved having my photos taken. Part of this includes people submitting photos of what they have looked like in their life before they started attending UniMed workshops and presentations, and how they look today.
I have never been a fan of having my photos taken and was usually the person on the other side of the camera taking the pictures, hiding behind the scenes – which is a common practice of mine in life in general. I have often heard people saying they want to be the one taking the photos but prefer not to be in them… Could it be it is not that we do not like having our photos taken but that we do not like what we see in our photos?
Yesterday I went to have some photos taken which I was not bothered about – well, that’s what I thought until I had to actually stand in front of the camera. My body became quite tense and stiff and I just could not seem to let myself go. The photographer was extremely supportive and did an amazing job, but it was not until I was in my car about to drive away that I realised just how tense I actually was.
Why did I have such an issue with having my photos taken, or looking at photos of myself?
Then I realised it was not about having the photo taken, but about what I saw in the photo in the end result.
~ Nicole Serafin (Age 31) ~
Beginning a new way of life, uncertain and scared of how that may look but knowing it was time for a change.
I had never accepted myself or my body, and looking in the mirror was one thing – but having a photo, which is a constant reminder of where I was and am at, is a lot more ‘in your face’, so to speak. A mirror you can choose to walk away from or not look in, but a photo is there forever as a reminder.
I remember going home after an esoteric healing session one day and sitting in front of the mirror and looking at myself: it would have been one of the hardest things I have ever done. I felt awkward, continually looking away at whatever I could then bringing myself back again to the mirror. I had never actually truly looked at myself before and I did not like what I could see. My reflection was looking back at me but it felt like it was not all of me – there was a part of me I was holding back and did not want the world to see.
I could feel how I had created a façade to hide behind, a front for the world, and looking in the mirror made me realise just how much of the real me I was still hiding.
Usually, looking in the mirror was brief and really only while putting on make-up or doing my hair which all supported the facade really, creating another face to present to the world. Some days I would not use a mirror at all.
Even though I myself have changed a lot over the years and there is now more and more of the real me shining through, I discovered yesterday that there is still so much more of me to come out.
I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.
~ Nicole Serafin (Age 41) ~
Feeling amazing, purposeful and more content with me.
I can now have my photos taken and look at them and appreciate that I have come a long way… the hardness of the past now replaced with tenderness, my eyes no longer dull and withdrawn but alive and clear, willing to let the world see who I am without fear of being hurt; the stare of vacancy now replaced with gentleness.
And yes, they may not reflect the true me or all of me… yet. But day by day, these photos taken can be used as a reflection of me, supporting me to appreciate how far I have come and where I am going.
Through the support and sharing of Universal Medicine, Serge Benhayon and fellow students of The Livingness, I have been able to look at what I used in my life to hold me back from being and expressing who I am today. I now enjoy a life of simplicity as the way I choose to live, and a body of vitality which is able to support me in all that I do… something I have never had before, and for that I am eternally grateful.
By Nicole Serafin, Age 41, Tintenbar, NSW
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The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
To be honest Nicole, I don’t know of many people that like their photos being taken and to be seen for who they truly are. We can often see it in their eyes, whether that sparkle of their Soul is emanating through or not and so beautiful to see and feel when it is.
What Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and their practitioners have offered is another way of living. A way of living that allows you to be you instead of this ‘facade’ that constantly barages us with falsities. When we come to this realisation by the loving support of others who have walked this pathway too, we realise that the life we have grown up around is based on these falsities of highs and lows. There is nothing on and of this world that can ever quench the thirst of unsettlement than to be with our Soul and who we truly are.
Gosh to be that honest with yourself about what you see in a photograph or mirror is so brilliant and inspiring. And I get it. If I am gentle and honest with myself about how I feel in front of the mirror or camera I will gain a lot of insight into patterns of protection, holding back and withdrawal. Thank you Nicole.
Nicole, I love seeing how you have come alive in the photos and how the most recent one is you shining so beautifully and above all at ease with your light and power (with of course more to come)…
When we are open and connected, to look in the mirror and look in our eyes is such a beautiful thing to experience, a bit like looking into the eyes of a baby or a child who is totally open and not hiding anything. Note that this can also be confronting to look into another’s openness if one is holding back. And of course when one is holding back and not allowing oneself to be seen, then there is of course a discomfort in looking deep into ones own eyes as one knows that there is a facade hiding the truth deep inside.
I understand these glances that we do in these halls of mirrors. And seeing a body but not wanting to truly receive what is in front of it. If we could look through the eyes of a baby it only feels the Soul through those eyes. Most people wouldn’t understand this until they allow another to see you for who you truly are.
Nicole, thanks for your sharing – As a child I loved having my photo taken and I was always happy to shine, but then somewhere along the line, this changed and I was also more the one to hide away or be the one taking the photos instead. And as you have shared the real pain is seeing ourselves in photos is not the photo itself, but rather the fact that we know on some deeper level that we are not allowing all we are to be seen and so to just see the shell of who we are is in fact painful or uncomfortable.
Photos can indeed be very exposing – but we can use this in a supportive way: “I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.”
Yes this is a great and gentle approach to unveiling the patterns of behaviour and protection we may have had through our lives. There is always learning and therefore always gold to realise.
I had a photoshoot yesterday and was all up for it until I was in front of the camera then went silly from nerves. It took a while to relax but once I did I started to enjoy it. Being seen for who I am now, a very gorgeous woman, doesn’t come easy for now. Then again before I started working on my relationship with myself nothing did. So I ain’t fretting, just takes practice.
A beautiful confirmation and appreciation of your deepening in love, ‘I can now have my photos taken and look at them and appreciate that I have come a long way… the hardness of the past now replaced with tenderness, my eyes no longer dull and withdrawn but alive and clear, willing to let the world see who I am without fear of being hurt; the stare of vacancy now replaced with gentleness.’
The first two photos really reflect many people today in the sense that so many of us are not able to be our true selves, we are carrying hurts and protections, and have buried, hidden or reduced ourselves. I was the same, looking back I can see elements of my essence expressing over my life but until I came to Universal Medicine, reconnected to my soul and received the support to heal the hurts, I couldn’t let myself out. Like yourself Nicole I am still working on letting even more of who I am out, it’s an amazing process and very beautiful to be living so much more of me everyday… and more to come.
The support we get as students is immense and can never be underestimated, so thank you Nicole, we can never do this work alone and being a master on this plan of life is all about brotherhood that comes from sisterhood and sisterhood-ship comes with one other in the most loving ways.
It’s very beautiful and liberating when we can finally say we have had enough of complicating maneuvering and start appreciating the simplicity of what is. Such a sweet homecoming.
Nicole what an amazing transformation that is easily seen and felt in the photographs you have shared.
I feel you are on the right track when you say
“Could it be it is not that we do not like having our photos taken but that we do not like what we see in our photos? ”
I have never liked my photograph taken and it is because I didn’t want to see the reflection of the ‘given- up-ness’ that stared back at me.
The before and after photos say so much, when we look in the mirror we see much too, ‘ sitting in front of the mirror and looking at myself: it would have been one of the hardest things I have ever done. I felt awkward, continually looking away at whatever I could then bringing myself back again to the mirror. I had never actually truly looked at myself before and I did not like what I could see.’
Our photos tell the story of how we are living, the more I allow myself to be open and transparent the quality of my photo is more true. It is when I am trying to portray something or have some protection around being seen then the photo reflects this as well.
I can so relate to what is shared here, in the past hating having my photo taken, but that wasn’t it at all, it was that I didn’t like what I saw of me in my photo, for it clearly showed how I’d been living and now I enjoy those photos and having them taken so much more. I see them as a marker of who I am and how I am, and because I now live and take so much more care with me and how I am now than before, there’s so much more to see and share and it continues to unfold each and every day.
I equally did not like having my photo taken and then what I saw in the reflection, whereas photos can be markers of our unfoldment, ‘I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.’
The Way of the Livingness, or living soulfully, offers a completely new way to view ourselves, as it’s not about ticking the box of fashion or ideals of body image or beauty, it’s about seeing how much love we are living and if the essence of who we are is soulfully shining through.
The photos say it all Nicole.. a simple life, where we take care of our body and live according to and within its limits, is a vital, consistent and energised life, free of complications and draining ups and downs.
There could be a host of potential reasons why we feel uneasy when we stand in front of a photographer. We may accept the photographer’s help to deal with it or we may indulge in the issue we carry and use the occasion to confirm it.
There is something about being aware of being seen that makes me self-conscious and I actually feel myself contracting, and having a camera pointed at is a very obvious example. There are some amazing photographers who seem to be able to call out and capture in a photo the true beauty of what we are, and what we live also gets shown even if we try hiding. I love those before & after photos and how the afters keep getting more amazing as the Livingness gets deepened.
Having our photo taken can be a great way to reflect on how we are and how far we’ve come and it invites us to consider what we reflect to the world and to understand that it’s a process; the more we let go, the more we bring of us to our own lives and hence the world.
I make loving changes in my life. I commit to life like I have never done before in this life. I feel amazing and others recognise my amazingness but it doesn’t mean that I now can put my feet up! The joy I am now living after many years in contraction is just the beginning…
The huge difference between your first and last photo is a testament not just to how far you have come over these years, Nicole, but to the choices you have made along the way; obviously many self-loving ones. But I feel that most powerful choice of all was to begin to accept the beautiful woman you naturally are and have always been; the gorgeous woman captured so beautifully in the last photo. Very inspirational indeed.
Hi Ingrid, your comment gave me a stop moment to reflect on the acceptance of ourselves in our essence, which can require letting go of all the things we think we should be or aspire to be. In that I was also feeling how lovely it is to accept others, accept them where they are at and also accept their beautiful, divine essence, even if they are not able to live connected to it for now.
I agree that the acceptance of another in their essence is so beautifully supportive for them but also offers us the opportunity to deepen our understanding of not just them but every single person we connect with.
How beautiful Ingrid, I had never looked at it that way! It’s something I would definitely like to explore.
Beautifully shared Nicole your pictures say it all, with even more of the amazing you to unfold.
A great reminder of how easy it is to hide behind the scenes in life when we should be living with the awareness that we can literally light up our own and others’ lives just by being ourselves, imperfections and all.
What we allow ourselves to see is only related to the level of awareness we have said yes to.
It is so revealing going over old photographs, the energy behind the smiles and styles shows everything.
The photos say it all. Whilst you are a beautiful woman in all photos, there is an open, tender and claimed woman that emanates in the most recent.
The photographs say everything here. The recent one – age 41 – emanates such beauty, gentle self-confidence, someone who is ‘at home’ with themselves. What a wonderful transformation.
Amazing to feel your transformation through these photos Nicole. Having our photos taken offers us a great opportunity to reflect on how we are living, as we are shown through our bodies and our eyes what quality of energy we are embodying through our every day. If we are willing to embrace the truth when we look at out photos, we can see, feel and appreciate the beauty that we naturally are and if we are choosing to live in honor of our innate divineness.
It is amazing how much we can see and feel through photos. Before even reading your blog Nicole the photos tell the unfolding story. Beautiful.
Spot on Victoria, in this case a picture tells a thousand words indeed – but more so shares a thousand feelings…
What you can see and feel in the pictures is extraordinary – yes a massive visual change but it is more than that. It is a sense of ease in your body by the last one, you have dropped the mask and you simply are. I love that there is also a sense that you don’t need to be perfect to be seen, again, you simply are.
Powerfull way of accepting where you are and how much you have grown and that it is just the beginning of so so so much more of you.
Accepting ourselves where we are, not needing to be perfect, just being who we truly are.
Hi Nicole, I very much do appreciate what you say with “I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown”. This is so true, just to look and see where we are at compared to where we come from is already be a big healing on it’s own.
Thanks Nicole, you are radiant and very alive in the last photo, there is a trust and an openness, without any guardedness. It feels like you are letting the real you out in full, very inspiring!
Nicole, you certainly look the world of difference in your photos now. Warm, open, purpose-full and letting out who you are.
The recent photos taken of you that I have seen, not just the one posted here, show how gorgeous a woman you have become and confirm you in your beauty, ‘these photos taken can be used as a reflection of me, supporting me to appreciate how far I have come and where I am going.’
Thank you for sharing Nicole and showing us what changes are possible when we change how we are living and bring in The Way of the Livingness to our lives.
Thank you Nicole, I appreciated the new, gentle and embracing way you have developed to look over your photos, to approach yourself with understanding and to now celebrate how much you have grown and how much of your beautify inner self you can let out to the world. Your final photo does indeed show someone who is tender, open, wise, gentle, gorgeous and with a sparkle – and ready for more to come! I’m sure if I look over past photos I will see something similar with the inner true me sparkling much more now.
I’ve been inspired by another blog I recently read and have started a selfie journal. As someone who does not like having her photo taken, it’s been an interesting experience. There are not many photos yet, because I keep deleting the ones I don’t like : )
Ha ha, and what a great reflection :). Amazing how we can read so much in photos.. or when we look in the mirror.
One dayI would love to have a professional photo-shoot but realise that when I do I am claiming all of me, claiming all the beauty I am and that is confronting. Claiming my beauty is one thing I can do privately but it feels very ‘big’ doing it for all the world to know and see. Yes Nicole, this does expose so much to be felt and the holding back needs to be exposed. Our beauty is within us waiting to come out.
The reflection we see back when we look in a mirror, or when we see a photo of ourselves can be a tool we use to check in with the level of self-love and self-acceptance we currently have. It is a reflection that can help us return to the sweetness and loveliness that we all inherently are.
Yes and a very personal one too I have found. There is a knowing when you look in the mirror, you feel yourself from the inside, you can’t run away from it because it contains all your choices so this can be challenging or confirming.
Photos give away so much, they tell you far more than what we think we see, and the more aware I become, the more aware I realise that I knew exactly what I was doing to keep the world at bay, totally different to actually seeing a true delicate and claimed reflection that no longer allows the world to own them.
Your photo’s in this article say it all, how you now enjoy living more of you, sharing this openly with us all. And the word ‘simplicity’ is palpable, why make life complicated and struggle when we can choose the simplicity of living who we are each day more and more, moment by moment.
I love photos and pretty much always have. As this article is saying I was always keen to see how I looked in photos and used it as a gauge of how much of me I could see, similar to, “I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.” Whenever I had a photo taken I would study it and look at every thing. There were times I didn’t like what I saw but this didn’t stop me from having another one taken it more woke me up or gave me awareness to the things I saw that I’d like to change. I love having a catalogue of photos and really would love to do a shoot each year to keep this catalogue going. As I saw from the photos in this article they are really priceless when you look back to see how much things have changed.
Thanks for sharing these photos of you Nicole; it’s beautiful to see the joy, tenderness and openness that’s there shining through you now.
The same happens when I look in the mirror. Some days I look gorgeous and other days I really don’t like what I see. It is definitely a reflection on how I am feeling on the inside. I suppose when I look at my face on those days where I don’t like what I see its because I am faced with also seeing the choices I have made to get myself to that place.
I love having my photos taken simply because every picture shows me a process, nothing to hold onto but a reflection to take stock and appreciate—no matter how I looked or felt, it was an opportunity for me to see if I could accept myself.
That’s when we let go of judging ourselves or expecting to see something specific. You offer us to accept that it will always be a reflection of the process of becoming more of ourselves but also to accept that everything is there al-ready.
I am amazed at how much you can read of a person by just looking at the n detail of her/his eyes in a picture. This is the only part that always remain true to how the person is living.
Amazing what is revealed in a photo. Thank you for sharing these and letting us see how you have changed and really come home to yourself. Very inspiring and a reminder to take more photos for the great reflection they offer.
“Could it be it is not that we do not like having our photos taken but that we do not like what we see in our photos?” I think you are definitely onto something here Nicole – hit the nail right on the head!
“I now enjoy a life of simplicity as the way I choose to live, and a body of vitality which is able to support me in all that I do… something I have never had before, and for that I am eternally grateful.” There is so much grace in living in a body that is vital and has been given the love and care that it/we all deserve.
I love seeing the before and after photos and appreciating how far people have come in connecting to and expressing the true beauty that lies within. It is extraordinary how many of us hide and hold back in showing all of ourselves and yet it is such a blessing to not only ourselves but others when we truly allow ourselves to shine for the world to see, whether immortalized through a photo or not.
it is a choice of how we look at ourselves, to appreciate or to judge. It is all from the way we live that we create our judgements or feel the appreciation. I feel pictures are a beautiful reflection of the moment, a marker to look at and feel, Wow, what amazing steps have I taken. It is a time to take stock and build on, this is all of life in the end, with appreciation we grow.
You are spot on here Nicole when you say…”it was not about having the photo taken, but about what I saw in the photo in the end result.” I have had two professional photo shoots done over the last 18 months, and both times have felt so exposed as every tiny detail is captured in a moment of how we are, and how we hold ourlseves, and in some of these moments I did not like what I saw. But equally, there were also moments of absolute beauty, grace and divinity captured, and in these photographs I was blown away by what I saw. It is an incredibly powerful experience to have a photo session such as this, and a wonderful opportunity to make some different choices, to bring these moments of true beauty to everything that we do.
Last year, I had an opportunity to have some photo taken by an amazing photographer. I felt awkward during but looking at what came out afterwards was a bit of a process. Initially, I didn’t like how I looked in the most of them, and going through one by one, I started to feel the beauty and power in what I was seeing. I feel like there’s the whole lot more deeper I could go when it comes to truly appreciating myself, and as you say, it was a very necessary and supportive moment for me to stop and appreciate how far I had come.
I used to be someone who would look in the mirror and just focus on all my flaws. Now when I look in the mirror I see much more of my beauty- something I had previously never thought was possible for me.
I’ve always enjoyed having photos taken as I like to look back and have things or times recorded. I get what you are saying though and photos are a reflection and these days with most people having a camera on their phones it is much more convenient. It’s great to see what your reflection is and usually for me, my reflection is based on how I am feeling and has little to do with anything else. Photos can appear to change – I can look at them with one set of eyes and see something but then with another set I can see something completely different. If I look at myself critically in the mirror or photo I am looking at my thoughts and movements around my everyday…. have I been caring for myself consistently and watching my thoughts or have I been too busy or had my head down etc. I also take note of where I am critical because this can support in changing how I have been. All these things I use, to bring awareness to what is really going on for me. On the surface you can say you are just in a bad mood, or justify and say the photo was really bad etc but there is always, always something deeper to understand and this never stops.
It’s interesting to read as I remember having the same pattern of disliking that what I saw on the pictures taken. When I looked to a photo taken of me I always only saw the imperfections I was holding but never I could see through that and see that tender and delicate caring man I actually am and always has been there in all the pictures ever taken whatever mask I had on on top of it.
Photo taking are very revelatory moments on how are we in and with the world. How open are really we? How much openess do we settle for? How much of us do we allow the world to get to know?
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said we don’t like to see our photos because we don’t like the truth we see, however we are a result of our choices, so making different choices can easily transform the truth that’s apparent in photographs.
Spot on Meg, old photos never lie and we can see the impact our past choices had on us.
It’s a revelation, the moment we are in front of the camera, I have done everything from bursting into tears to avoiding altogether. Now I am able to be in front of a camera but still I find an element of holding back. To open and be in connection to my inner glory and sacredness, being intimate with the camera and shining my light I know and trust is there, will be interesting to see and feel.
Allowing all of ourselves to come out is what most of us would like, but I know for myself I find I am a little in and out most of the time depending on the situation. I would love to know the whole of me and have enough trust to be so.
When we start to accept ourselves this is reflected in what we see in the mirror or on a photo. The last photo shows, how embracing yourself supports the beauty and grace that lives inside to be reflected out.
That third photo warmed my heart… What a stunning picture of what a woman living her femaleness actually looks like!
Wow Nicole that is really a change you have made! I love this insight: “I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.” That is for me a wonderful way to see a photo as this way is much more self loving and supportive than being self critical and dismissive against myself.
“Could it be it is not that we do not like having our photos taken but that we do not like what we see in our photos?” Spot on Nicole. I never really like it when I see myself in photos. As a child I would turn my back on the camera – ruining many a family photo. I still prefer to be behind the lens. Similarly listening to recordings of my voice – I say to myself ‘do i really sound like that?’ However as i deepen my connection with myself I am more accepting, even learning to appreciate, what I see and what I hear- all thanks to Universal Medicine.
The detail you have shared here is spot on, I have struggled to look at photos of myself over the years too. I recently had a photo shot that was so confronting, as the photograph could see straight through my games and hiding and still managed to access the real me. It was really hard to look at these photos at first but with my husbands support and love I was able to really appreciate myself and my true beauty and now, one of the pictures is my all time favourite.
Something I absolutely love about photography is that you can really show someone just how beautiful they are, and how they are so much more than just their external looks.
Nicole. A beautiful coming into the beautiful woman you are and sharing the light in your eyes with us all.
Almost everyone in the world is looking for vitality, looking for a solution to their difficulties, and here you present a way of living that can help. It is not a solution, but a way of living and being.
I have been wanting to have my photo taken by an amazing photographer I know, but I have only ever got to the point of enquiry, not commitment. I have been avoiding seeing myself and have been avoiding others seeing me as I am. I don’t want to hold back anymore.
Nicole, your transformation is beautiful and very inspiring.
So great to see the transformation you’ve gone trough. Having a photo taken is indeed s beautiful opportunity to see how much of our self we are showing to the world, appreciating all of our beauty that has unfolded is key in this.
When being myself, thats when I have looked the best in photographs! no anxiousness in sight..
having our photo taken can be a nervous experience! We have certain images of ourselves about who we are, how we look etc, and if these aren’t met in a photograph then this is shocking!
Such an amazing blog to return too Nicole, reading your appreciation of yourself and the loving changes you have made in your life is inspiring me to dig out old photos of myself and clock and appreciate the transformation I have gone through as well – thank you.
I love before and after stories and photos. I am happy to see your transformation, Nicole. It is confirmation and hope that change is possible. The ability and power of choice. I can also relate to being behind the lens and having my photo taken as a permanent record of where I am and the reflection of not being all of me.
Wow Nicole, I had never seen that picture of you before Universal Medicine and now understand the huge changes thank you for sharing this and continuing to unfold into the amazing, expressive woman you are.
Thank you Simon, it certainly has been an unfolding, one that is definitely continuing
Nicole, beautiful to read your transformation and how through claiming yourself and living a more simple and connected life your reflection is much more true.
I have never enjoyed having my photo taken, because they never felt that they reflected who I was. Recently I had some photos taken and I loved the playful experience and now see the reflection as who I am, the difference being that I am now living more of who I truly am, and before I was living everything I wasn’t.
I love how you appreciate how far you have come, and also how much more there is to evolve too.
Love it Nicole using photos as a tool of appreciation rather than avoiding having them taken because we are uncomfortable with what is reflected. Thank you for sharing your awesome transformation with all of us, the openness you display in your most recent photo is confirmed by your willingness to share the ongoing process with everyone.
I love the simplicity and yet the profoundness of your winning formula, Nicole – a ‘life of simplicity as the way I choose to live, and a body of vitality which is able to support me in all that I do’.
wow, the photos say it all. Amazing.
Nicole, you look amazing, not just externally but what you are reflecting is coming from your essence and is there for all to see and feel. What makes us beautiful is what we are expressing from our essence.
Thank you Nicole for sharing the amazing changes that you have made in your life. How true is the saying a picture says a thousand words, you are looking amazingly beautiful a joy to behold. It is so confirming to look back at ourselves and appreciate how far we have come, from who we once were.
Such a very beautiful blog to read Nicole; the choices you made and your level of self care and responsibility is inspiring. You are indeed a gorgeous, amazing, divine woman.
A photo says a thousand words!
I recently did an experiment for 6 weeks with a friend, with making a ‘selfie’ every day. It allowed me to look at myself everyday and literally see the impact the choices I had made that day had on me. A beautiful opportunity as well to explore observing myself without judgements and to expose the ideals about how I should look on a picture.
This is something most people would find challenging to do. The level of self-responsibility that is highlighted by looking at ourselves is not something we generally like. It not only reveals the impacts of our choices to ourselves it also highlights that we have been walking around with the evidence for all to see.
True, Joshua, every choice we make has an impact and is felt by everyone. We can’t keep this hidden for the rest of the world even if we think nobody sees what we do. Everything is felt and reflected and all parts of our life are the same. We have such a responsibility if we allow ourselves to see this truth.
Whether we like to see it or not, everything is a reflection of our choices
I can relate, Nicole to your not liking your picture being taken, because you didn’t like what you saw as an end result. Making different and more loving choices changes the way we look and feel and that is, also for ourselves, a great learning and healing to look at. Thank you for sharing your before and after’s and I bet the photo of this year is even more light and vibrating.
Thank you, it has been an ongoing unfolding. And again I recently had some photos take by the amazing Iris Pohl, and I have to say, it is the most of me I have ever let out for the world to see, and it felt amazing.
Even I could not stop looking at the photos that were taken, a huge transformation from even how I viewed myself a few years ago,
My level of self acceptance deepens as does my appreciation for not only myself but all those around me, and of course Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, for without the sharing of the Ancient Wisdom I would not be the woman I am today.
Wow, you look amazing Nicole. Your whole face and eyes are glowing, so beautiful to see and deeply inspiring. It is so awesome to take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come and the photos certainly show this amazing transformation.
I recently had a 21st video made of me. It showed my transition of a gorgeous baby, cheeky small child, troubled teenager to a glowing young adult. And what it really made me appreciate was my choices.
My choices of my family, friends, lifestyle and everything that consists in my life.
This was a milestone in my life not because of the video but because I finally gave myself the space to appreciate where I am. I even parted with a tear or two 😛
Gorgeous Luke, you are an inspiring young man. So beautiful to read your comment and feel your appreciation emanating through your words.
“I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.” So true Nicole we can actually learn so much about ourselves from a photo, both by having one taken and the end result. Seeing a photograph as a marker of how far we have come is so much more inspiring than using it as a critical tool to bash ourselves with.
Funny how the mirror has become a place of preparation rather than appreciation, of critique and correction rather than love and affection. Great blog, Nicole – a real thought-provoker about our relationship with being seen.
I also can be quite tense when having my photo taken, allowing myself to be truly seen is a work in progress, being more accepting and appreciative of myself is a great step with this. Your recent photos Nicole are beautiful as you let yourself shine for all to see.
Nicole, I have only known you since Universal Medicine and I always think you are beautiful. It’s amazing how we can torment ourselves with reasons that we are less than we are, yet it is all within us. I am so glad that your inner sparkle is out for everyone to see. I appreciate the wise and beautiful woman that you are.
within society today there are a group of people who are choosing to live with an understanding that very simply their bodies are the markers of truth and must be listened to, and within this simple reflection deeply connect to what is inherently divine within us all… This cannot help but be reflected in the way they look and what they reflect the world… Sooner or later this must be noticed and attended to because within it is an inspiration that humanity needs right now.
I recently had to have my photo taken and it was very exposing to feel that there was something about being myself knowing I am being looked at that made me very uncomfortable. Thank you, Nicole, for the reminder. This is something I would definitely like to explore and am needing support.
Its funny, I’ve always tended to avoid the mirror… and in that there is a background of not learning early in life to appreciate myself. Afraid that I will become vain and narcissistic, but in reality I’ve missed an opportunity to just appreciate me and also have a window or an opportunity to self reflect.
‘There is now more and more of the real me shining through’. I love that sentence and can very much relate to that. Not only do I see it in the mirror and on pictures but I can also feel how I am becoming more of me each and every day.
I love the way you have turned around the meaning of what a photo is showing us at any moment. As a snapshot of us in time, it’s way more affirming and accepting to see it as a marker of just how far we have come rather than beating ourselves up about how much further we believe we have yet to go. Life is about evolution not a sprint to the finishing line. Along each step of the way it’s essential to appreciate and accept the stages we’ve reached in order to move further on. Sure, we shouldn’t delay, but we do need to acknowledge ourselves along the way.
‘Life is about evolution not a sprint to the finishing line. Along each step of the way it’s essential to appreciate and accept the stages we’ve reached in order to move further on.’ So true Cathy and photos are a great tool in supporting us to appreciate and confirm where we are at and where we have come from. I feel inspired to dig out some photos of me which I would normally avoid just like I used to avoid having them taken in the first place!
I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see. Great advice for anyone who hate standing in front of the camera or mirror….
What has struck me is that all of who we are is always there, the beauty, the clarity – the ‘Son of God’. We start so early in our lives to hide, and ‘Shame’ has blocked out the truth. These photo’s of ‘before and after’ are inspirational, but they are also sharing the power of the choices made to re-connect to the truth and live that. As you have commented Nicole – ‘I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown’. Your healing presence can be felt. Thank you for this beautiful blog.
‘These photo’s of ‘before and after’ are inspirational, but they are also sharing the power of the choices made to re-connect to the truth and live that.’ Beautifully expressed ch1956 and for me what has been revealing about having my photo taken recently is just how much protection is there for the world not to really see me and how freeing it feels to now start letting the true me out and allow ever deeper levels of connection with myself and others.
It is always very inspiring to see the Before and After photos – the contrast in what we see and feel through those image is so striking.
Taking a photo of ourselves and feeling the differences from before to after is a great exercise in self appreciation.
I agree Matthew its a difficult thing to do at first look through the old photos and hurts but once done it shows a deep level of appreciation for how far we have come with our choices and to bringing a true level of self love to ourselves.
‘Could it be it is not that we do not like having our photos taken but that we do not like what we see in our photos?’ – this is a great question Nicole as it reveals so much if we allow ourselves to be honest. Our photos do reflect how we have been living and what we present to the world. With which we are offered an opportunity to choose to connect deeper with ourselves, either to return to who you truly are or appreciate the loving choices we have been making. You are such a deeply inspiring, beautiful woman Nicole thank you for letting us see the real you and gracing us with your glorious presence.
Thank you Carola, and everyone for your amazing and supportive comments.
It has been an amazing journey, one that is far from over.
I look at these before and after hoots and i am able to appreciate how much not only i but my whole life as changed, with the love and support of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
Nicole I can see how different you are now from your first photo, much softer and you look lovely with your sparkling eyes. I haven’t enjoyed having photos taken for many years, especially as Ive aged but I am learning to be more of my real self and taking more care of myself and appreciating who I am..
It’s great that we can look at ourselves and see the facade that we live, this highlights what we know is true or is not true and that we don’t like the reflection of seeing our choices. We can’t fool ourselves, but we can ignore and distract ourselves from the obvious truth.
Photos can also be a way to practise being less critical of ourselves. We can look at ourselves with compassion and love rather than the way we use to zone in on all our supposed faults and lost moments. Your photos are transformational and beautiful Nicole. You are amazing and I’m loving reading your story of the journey back to you.
Shining Nicole what a joy to read your truthful blog. Through my own experiences with not wanting to be on a photo I came to the same conclusion that “it was not about having the photo taken, but about what I saw in the photo in the end result.” It took some work to accept and appreciate me more so that now I also use the photos as an reflection of me – “as a support and to appreciate myself how far I have come”. And I agree – I am too still holding back parts of me but the thing is that I know that everyday I have the choice to change this with everything I do.
That is quite a transformation Nicole. So much can be read from photos, about exactly what we are expressing in the World. I had some photos taken at the start of the year and I went through an interesting process; it took me some time to accept what I saw in the photos but as I did, I accepted myself as I am, appreciated what I had let go of and was inspired to let more of me come out and be seen by the World. I decided it would be great to have professional photos taken at the same time each year to celebrate the emergence of Me, emanating my divine spark.
Thank you Nicole, to feel the difference in what is presented in your latest photo is amazing. What is there to be seen and felt is that you live with the as-surety of your lived essence or Livingness!
Wow Nicole – it is obvious from the photos that the choices you are now making in your life are truly supporting you to be the ‘real you’. The changes in your appearance are amazing, I feel your warmth, love and acceptance of yourself in your recent photo – just beautiful.
Thank you Anna. It certainly is with what has been shared trough Universal Medicine and the choices i have made that has led to the dramatic change in not only my appearance, but my health and wellbeing also.
It has been an amazing journey, one that I have not yet completed.
A very different person, there is an amazing difference from the first photo to the most recent beautiful photo. You look so alive, and your eyes tell it all.
The eyes are sparkling, like diamonds lit from within.
I love this series of photos. Thank you for sharing them Nicole. The transformation is huge and a great inspiration.
I agree Elaine, they completely support all that Nicole has expressed. From the hiding to allowing the world to see the real her, all is plain to see in the pictures. Very inspirational, Nicole, thank you.
“I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather that be disappointed in what we see.”
Wow- what a beautiful transformation you have had Nicole!- from hiding, feeling insecure and looking anxious to now feeling joyous, looking gorgeous and openhearted.
Great to appreciate how far you have come.
Well said Loretta, photos will always give us a marker of where we are at and how far we have come
“I have now realised that photos can also be a tool for allowing us to see, feel and appreciate how far we have come and how much we have grown, rather than to be afraid of or disappointed in what we see.” I agree Nicole, photos document how we feel and where we are at. I recently enjoyed a photo shoot with a photographer whose clear prompts felt so supportive and the shoot was effortless, light and really enjoyable. The photographer has a role to play as well and their intentions are super important.
Bernadette, that same sentence is the one I found to be thought provoking and awareness-raising. I really appreciate what it says and will approach photographs with a new attitude now.
i agree Bernadette once we can loose the “wanting” the photo to reflect what we want to see and instead see what we truly are then we have a great tool to fully appreciate how far we have come.
Nicole i see a beautiful vibrant woman and your picture says it all, we celebrate your honesty and the amazingness you always had but now show to the world.
So true Bernadette, the photographer plays a great part in the picture just as much as the subject does.
What a beautiful photo Nicole, I too have not liked my picture being taken in the past, not liking what was there to see. This has changed for me as I embrace more of the loving tender person I really am. At a recent photo shoot I was able to let more of the me out, and I really love the person I see.
Appreciation. Appreciation. Appreciation… these words are ringing at how simple it is yet how crucially important it is to simply celebrate and claim in full every little step we have made that is of true benefit for ourselves and thus for all.
Very true Joshua, beautifully said.
Beautifully said Joshua. We can never have too much appreciation of ourselves or of others. Appreciation is the magic glue that holds us all together.
And also the magic way that can heal our hurts and issues
To appreciate the steps I have taken already, is a step on the stairway towards heaven.
It is so simple isn’t it …. Just look at the stories that these pictures are telling … and the wonder is that there are literally hundreds of similar pictorial stories out there, students of The Way of The Livingness who are visual testimonies to the living truth of our path.
I love pictures, too, because they show everything. What a beautiful invention: the before/ after photos.
How much more light is felt by looking at your after picture and how much it can support you to embrace where you are at and to go on with living your truth in joy.
Maybe you are not showing all of the true you or all of you yet Nicole, but what I can see in the after Universal Medicine photo shot shows a compassionate understanding and gentle face and a shining light reflects from your eyes just beauty-full and an amazing transformation.
Nicole -I too have struggled to look at photos of myself and am very critical of me. -“there was a part of me I was holding back and did not want the world to see”. I feel that this is what I am feeling at times too- its like I’m not all there being me. This is something for me to work on but also to appreciate how much more of me I am revealing than in the past -my evolution.
‘And yes, they may not reflect the true me or all of me… yet. But day by day, these photos taken can be used as a reflection of me, supporting me to appreciate how far I have come and where I am going.’ . To look through and sort out my old photos is an exercise I have been putting but I can feel how supportive and enlightening it could be. Thank you Nicole, very inspiring.
Awesome Nicole, and so true that whenever I look at old photos and have a reaction, criticism, judgment to them, that it’s largely to do with (self) acceptance and what’s going on for me at that time that gets captured by the lens…which I find shows much more than the actual image itself. That the photo is an entire read on that moment in time. As well as it capturing what’s ‘not there’ or missing, so too can also capture ‘what IS there’ and has yet to be – accepted as the WHOLE part of us, and not just the small fraction we want or like to see. Photos show the way we live – in our rightful joy, or hindered otherwise. I agree having your photo taken is a living record of one’s growth and expansion, and in this we are to enjoy and appreciate ALL of us, in the blossoming beauty as your photos show.
Such a beautiful sharing Nicole – the transformation through your journey is amazing.
How lovely to be able to look at your photos now and “appreciate that you have come a long way”.
The transformation you have made is remarkable and the true beauty of you is captured perfectly showing how you are no longer hiding and willing to show the world how gorgeous you are. The strength in your connection and presence that radiates in the photo is deeply inspiring.
Reading this blog, what came to me is that with pictures we play games. How many smiling pictures I have when in truth there was no reason to be smiling? How many pictures are simply the portrayal of a façade I have really mastered? How many pictures of mine are truly revealing of me that not even my own eyes can neglect? What I learn in Universal Medicine is that there is more me than the one I knew to be and that allowing to emerge more of myself makes a brutal difference in terms of pictures and in what I offer in daily life.
This was so awesome to read Nicole – I especially loved how you explain why you feel photos are so confronting. You show what a powerful reflection photographs can offer us if we are willing to really see what is there to be seen.
Your eyes say it all Nicole. Amazing transformation.
Nicole this blog is very powerful because not only did you change in the way you look but the feeling in the photos is different. You are an attractive woman and this has not changed but the warmth and connection you have now is radiating from you.
Your choices are reflected in your image. You are truly beautiful. Thank you. 🙂
Absolutely kathrynfortuna, Nicole’s beauty is radiating through for us all to appreciate and feel her gorgeousness.
The vitality and clarity in you are so obvious even more so when you compare them to photos of before. I love how you have shared that photos can be in fact a tool for appreciation rather than a tool for judgement and negative comparison as is often the case.
Beautiful! What I really love is you appreciate you along the way. You are an inspiration.
Wow, what a transformation Nicole, there is such a warmth and openess to your eyes now – your whole face in fact! Looking forward to seeing the next ‘after’ photo.
Stunning Nicole, and nothing to be played down whatsoever. The change in you, reflected by your photos alone, is amazing, and yet it is so very much more than this. That you feel so vital, engaged and committed in your life, that the unhappiness and hardness has gone… we can’t have such transformations talked about and shown enough – truly miraculous changes due to the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, and undoubtedly your own willingness to truly embark upon a loving way with and for yourself.
That your stunning beauty shines out of your photo today – all I can say is ‘wow’…
Great article the photos are proof of a true transformation.
I really enjoyed what you shared here Nicole as I too have been someone who shied away from photos. I recall a time where I was so uncomfortable by the thought of photos that I never had pictures taken – or very few. Now I feel I am embracing myself more I quite enjoy being in photos (not in perfection as I know I can still hide parts of myself) and this feels amazing!
Thank you for sharing this Nicole. I too had a very poor relationship with what I saw in a mirror, always in criticism and not wanting to look for any longer than I had to. It was the same with photographs, I didn’t like having my photograph taken and liked even less looking at the photograph. Now I can look at old photographs and see how defensive and protective I was and understand that this is what I did not like to see. I am learning to see myself and be seen just as I am and now look in a mirror and see so much more of who I am reflected back to me.
It is truly inspiring to see the photos of how you were and how much you have changed, the third photo feels very strong, confident and content and I look forward to seeing more photo’s getting to see and feel more and more of the real you.
Hi Nicole thank you for your beautiful honest sharing , your photos tell it all and are a reflection of your commitment to express who you are and to reimprint your old momentum with the glorious woman you are today, absolutely inspirational.
Thank you Nicole for sharing your story. It would be an understatement to say how amazing you look in your third photo and yet there is more to come. We are all blessed by the light you reflect to us.
Beautiful, thank you Andrew.
Yes Nicole, a whole new way to look at photos, and to really appreciate the truth of them. Your beauty shines for us all to see, and how inspiring to see the changes.
Thank you Bernadette. I now love having my photo taken, especially with so many amazing photographers around within the Esoteric community.
Such a great blog. Everyone should ask themselves if it is the act of being photographed that they don’t like – or what they see in the photo.
I know that I didn’t like what I saw. It was a physical scrutiny that I always applied when looking at photos other people had taken of me. I completely relate to my need for control, and my lack of self acceptance.
It is a great way to continue to grow and develop a deeper level of acceptance of ourselves. A whole new way to look at photos.
The photos say it all. The light that radiates from your eyes is truly beautiful. You can feel the depth and the presence that you now hold within yourself. That is truly inspiring. Thank you.
Thank you Jenny
These ‘before and after‘ photos from every one who has submitted them are all inspiring and these here are equally so with the transformation so clear, Nicole. I relate to what you have shared regarding having your picture taken, though yes it was absolutely because I didn’t like what I saw. To me the photos looked different to my reflection in the mirror. It is great to ask the question of why this is? So thank you, Nicole.
Thank you Julie. I recently had some photos taken and instead of looking at them in a way that left me not liking what I saw, I instead used it as an opportunity to feel that I had not been living all of me and how much more there still is to come. Very different to how I viewed them in the past, now a blessing to see there is always more.
What a transformation is felt in your photos, Nicole. It’s amazing to see how I have also resisted having my photo taken, but have recently really enjoyed looking at myself in the eyes standing in front of a mirror. I’ve noticed how when I allow it, there is really an infinite depth there to see and feel. Why would any of us want to hide THAT from the world?
Wow Nicole, a true transformation. It’s very inspiring to see and supportive to read as I also struggle to have my photo taken and get all awkward/tense. The photo here is not the problem instead it’s that I don’t like me in the photo – but I never stopped to ask myself why until now!
So True David. I always preferred taking the photos rather than being in them. Then i realised it wasn’t being in the photos that was the issue, but more the fact that what was being reflected back to me was a mere shadow of who I truly was. I was being shown how I was not living all of me, and it hurt to see and have that reflected back. Now I see photos as a joy to look at, as I am gradually living more of me and it is me that I now see as oppose to the shadow of myself.
An awesome sharing Nicole and such a transformation. Beautiful to see the sadness and hardness drop away and reveal the real beauty of you for all to see and feel. An inspiration, thank you.
It certainly has Beverly Thank you. Even when I look back at these photos it astounds me at just how much I held myself back and what I was hiding underneath.
Thank you Nicole, your article presents me with many aspects to ponder on. I am loving the photograph of you at 41, a beautiful reflection for us all to enjoy !
Thank you Jacky. They are great photos, certainly revealing how much I was holding back all of me, but not any more.
Thank you Jane. I feel younger and more alive now than I did in any of my previous photos. And the sparkle in my eyes are a true testimony to all that we are.
Absolutely beautiful Nicole, you are an inspiration and thank you for sharing this. It feels so important to share these experiences. I too had my photo taken a couple of weeks ago and whilst I felt so much more ‘me’ than the previous time, there is still so much more of me to unfold and share.
It is awesome Bernadette how we are accepting and seeing ourselves where we are at, also with the knowing there is more to come. For me it is a constant unfolding, always open to expose and move through the comfort I have chosen in life, and the comfort loves to creep in and hold me back where it can.
Thank you for sharing your insights so honestly Nicole. Your Divine Beauty was always there in every single photo, I can feel that, but wow, what a transformation as you have let go of all that you are not and allowed us to see more of the real you. You are an inspiration to us all. Gorgeous, simply gorgeous!
Thank you Suzanne. With the willingness to feel and be all you are, I am now more open to living all that I am rather than that which I am not. I am having fun and have let go of the expectation of having to be anything or anyone but me.
I too am looking forward to the next picture of more of me. Already I look at the beauty-full photo Clayton took and I can see how much more I have deepened even in a few months, it has given me a marker to look at and reflect on.
Wow, so amazing to see your photos and how much you have changed. You look stunning and your eyes are gorgeous and so full of light, hope to meet you in person one day.
Thank you Mariette, my eyes are what stands out the most to me now also, and every morning they are my reflection to where I am at and my appreciation for who I am. One day we shall meet and I look forward to that very much.
Thank you for sharing so much of you with us Nicole, there is more of you shining through and it is gorgeous to see. I could relate so much to what you shared, looking in the mirror I still see a lot of sadness looking back at me and it is sometimes difficult to look at, as I too, know there is so much more that is deeper, waiting to be let out!
It is a constant unfolding, I had to learn to begin to appreciate where I was, and know that more was to come, but first I had to accept that what I saw was not all of me but it was the part of me that I needed to see in order for me to move on.
We are all evolving, and yes at times it is hard to see what is being reflected back to us, especially when it is our own reflection that we see.
Thank you for your amazing, beauty-full comments. Your replies are very much felt, and bought a few tears I must say.
I look back at these photos and realise how much of me I denied to the world, how much they missed out on because I lived from what I thought rather than what I felt. I had lived for what I thought another or others wanted, instead now choosing to live what is true for me. As you and I can see in so many of us, by making and living choices that are supportive and loving, the love that we are can no longer hide, it shines out for all to see.
I am now able to now appreciate myself for who I am, without the fear and trepidation of what the world might think, living me, constantly expanding and growing. Now not only am I blessing myself every day I am now able to bless others simply by me being me.
A constant unfolding and shedding of the layers I built up over lifetimes finally falling away day by day, moment by moment. Best of all, there is more to come.
I too am looking forward to the next photo with more of me.
Thank you Ryan. There is no way the before me could of even felt those words, i was so caught up in life I had no idea how far from me I truly was. With a commitment to myself, making loving choices that support me rather than distracted me from what I felt inside has supported me to begin to live the woman I am, forever unfolding, developing and an ongoing commitment, one that is well worth every moment and every choice made, and yes as you can see the choices I make reflect brightly both inside and out.
Well said Ryan – and Nicole a year or so on from when you wrote the blog – your words are even stronger which is a true testament to the loving choices which you are continuing to make.
Nicole, beautiful blog, and I can feel how it’s developing more with all the comments and responses. I have not always liked having my photo taken and I can feel, as you describe, it’s because I don’t always want to see how I’ve lived. Your transformation is amazing, I love the lightness and sparkle I can feel in your latest photo, it feels like a beautiful reflection of the beauty that is you, there for all to see. And it’s inspiring to see where you’ve come from and where you are now and that it continues to deepen. I love what you say that photos can be a marker and a way for us to appreciate the changes we’ve made. I was sent a photo of me last year by a family member showing me at aged 16, and I didn’t recognise myself (I looked like a hard, lost boy), and I got to feel the changes in me, and more, it helped me cut any regrets that used to come in and say “I wish I did this earlier” as seeing this photo of me I ‘got it’ – that person would not have been able to choose the way I choose to be now – it’s been a journey and the awareness I have now is so different, so much more loving and allowing of being me and showing me, and it continues.
Nicole, thank you for this sharing as I too can relate to how you have felt about being in front of a camera. Photos reflect how we truly feel on the inside and do not let us hide from this fact.
So true Sally, I was a master at hiding, the original chameleon, so having my photo taken left me with nowhere to hide, hence why I was always the one taking the photos and not having them taken.
No more hiding, time to let it all shine out for the world to see and feel.
I can see the difference… the fear and tension has gone to be replaced by a joyful welcoming smile…
Thank you Gerard, you nailed it, the fear and tension was so clear to see, my face told the story of just how I was living and the impact of that on my body, which of course never lies.
Thank you Nicole – such a beautiful inspiration!
Thank you Hannah.
That’s an absolutely amazing transformation, Nicole.
Every time I look at these photos I cannot believe it is the same person, — well in truth it is not, only one of them feels like me. A huge transformation, one I am appreciating more and more each day.
Nicole your most recent photos is amazing – your tenderness, vitality and love just shine out from you now. Thank you for sharing the beauty-filled you.
Thank you Stephanie, no longer afraid of what another may think but living what I feel has allowed me to open up, let me out and to now let others in.
Dear Nicole, your radiance and beauty are now clearly on the surface for us all to see. Thank you for sharing your journey back to you — it’s very inspiring and the vitality and joy very tangible, you are simply beautiful.
My life has been a roller coaster of all sorts, and for that I am grateful, it gives me the foundation to be able to look back and know what was not me and to now feel and see what is. Thank you Rowena for the support, I appreciate it.
Another brilliant before and after. Wow what a difference and how gorgeous you are. Having met you in person on the weekend you are even more gorgeous than the picture taken though it is a very close resemblance!
Thank you Vanessa, it was also lovely to connect with you. My reflection grows daily and this is something I too have noticed. Even since having the photograph taken a few months ago I feel I have deepened again, and yes a resemblance therefore it is. Thank you.
You look so beautiful Nicole, radiant and womanly, but it goes so much deeper than this. You are beautiful, and it is a blessing to know you.
Thank you Rachel, it has been a journey with no end and I am loving the unfolding that it is bringing.
Thank you Nicole, for sharing your ‘remarkable’ changes. And while the photos speak for themselves, your words gave me insight into why so many of us do not like to look at photographs of ourselves. And with this understanding, we may be able to start to look at photos differently. So thanks for that as well.
I have never liked looking at photos of myself so this was a tough one for me. People would always say I was ‘photogenic’, I could never see what they saw, I hated looking at myself in the mirror let alone a photo.
Now, with the process of this article and the photos taken by Clayton, it has allowed me to continue to look at a reflection that is true and allows me to continue to accept how far I have come, which in turn is allowing me to go deeper with how much more there is to come.
Wow what a transformation – you now look beautiful and full of vitality, your eyes shine with love. These photographs are living proof that the choices that you have made to care for yourself, really work. But the changes are so much more than weight loss etc. – it is like you have come alive. Thank you for sharing these photos with us, they are inspirational.
Thank you Rachel, what you say is true, it is so not about weight loss. As you can see in one of my photos I had lost a lot of weight, but was still not reflecting the light of who I am, again when I was overweight, same reflection just me at a different weight.
It is all about choosing and living to be who you are, and nothing less.