I can’t do it anymore, you guys. The gloves are coming off.
You know how they say when things go too far one direction, there’s a backlash? Well I’m the backlash. And I’m bringing friends.
I see the story on the local news about the 14-year-old who beat cancer once but is fighting it again, with doctors telling him there’s not much they can do. I see the pictures in my Facebook feed of the two-year-old hooked up to machines at the hospital because leukemia is having its way. I read about the family who lost their 20-year-old daughter on an icy highway in Kansas on New Year’s Day.
And then I go to work in “my industry” and it’s a broken record of anti-aging, anti-aging, anti-aging. And it feels like a slap in the face of LIFE. So we’re just gonna go ahead and ban that term from use in our spa, mkay? In fact, let’s start a list:
Banned from Milagro:
1) Anything “anti-aging” — Your life is A GIFT. And it may be way too short or it may be 114 years long. Unfortunately, you have virtually no control over that. And every single second you spend wishing to look like your 22-year-old self is a second you could have spent on something that actually matters. I get it; youth is beautiful. You know what’s more beautiful? Maturity, wisdom, perspective, compassion and experience. You know what’s most beautiful? Loving who you are in your exact skin at this exact moment. The next 30-year-old who comes in detailing the Botox used and the chemical peels received and asking my advice on aging is going to get her pretty face squished between my hands as I look her square in the eyes and scream “STOP! Be grateful you’ve made it to 30! Look forward to making it to 40 and 50 and 60 and 70! Way too many faces never get there!”
2) The word “should” — Oh, the “shoulds” we hear around here: I should take more time for myself. I should read and write more. I should quit this job I hate and do what I love. Here’s the best way I’ve found to deal with shoulds: determine if it is a self-imposed should or if it is an imaginary should. Is it your inner voice nudging? Then DO IT and stop with the should. Is it an unsolicited should from an outside voice, a voice that doesn’t even know you or your priorities? Then ignore the hell out of it and don’t feel guilty for one second. Live your life on your terms. You only get to do it once.
3) Your tech device — Just kidding. Freak you out for a minute there? We haven’t instituted a no-device policy yet, but we’ve definitely considered it. It’s becoming quite obvious that these addictive little boxes are turning into toxic addictions for folks of all ages. And it’s becoming more and more difficult to pry them out of spa-goers’ hands. They’re bad for our necks, bad for our relationships, and I think, bad for our souls. Missing life because we’re too busy is a shame. Missing life because we’re staring at a tiny screen for hours on end is a tragedy.
Any other toxins you’d like to avoid?
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