What Meryl Streep Can Teach Us about BEAUTY #atozchallenge

Skyyjohn in episode #27 of his Vlog on the "Skyyjohn2" channel.*Language Alert: This post contains some explicit language. If you are among the faint at heart or sensitive to certain words, consider this advance notice.

Hot chicks can’t act, according to popular YouTuber SkyyJohn, who names Meryl Streep as an example – suggesting “nobody wants to bang her, but look at how good of an actress she is!” -- In one of his vlog episodes.

I won’t argue in support of SkyyJohn’s claim or against it, for I’m not interested in banging Meryl Streep – I’d take Eric Dane a.k.a McSteamy, thank you very much. However, there are valuable lessons we can all learn from this actress, regarding how we measure ourselves on the beauty scale.

Lesson #1 - People tend to look their Best when they are Comfortable in their own Skin.

Streep, who didn’t have any confidence in her beauty when she was young, believed that character acting was where her strengths lie. She even once apologized to an Italian movie producer for “disappointing” him by not being a conventional beauty. The producer insulted Streep – calling her an ugly pig when she auditioned for a role in the 1976 “King Kong” remake.

Yet today in her 60s, this Oscar-winning actress has not resorted to plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures to try and extend the “sell-by” date of her career. Streep views these desperate measures as an interruption in communication between you and the people you are interacting with. “It’s like wearing a veil – it’s not a good thing,” she says. “You have to embrace getting older,” declares Streep after evolving from an actress who didn’t think she was pretty enough while growing up, to one that is now free of the constraints of beauty standards or glass ceilings.

Lesson #2 - Real Beauty Doesn’t Always Fade…it Evolves.

If the comments on a YouTube clip of Meryl Streep’s 2010 Golden Globe interview are any indication, she is more attractive these days than ever before. Comments on that video range from naming Streep an American cultural icon to calling her a goddess, who is so gorgeous, some viewers who normally think of her talent, grace and humility say they forgot how beautiful she is. The general consensus is that Streep looks good for her age – probably because she is comfortable with where she is now and not trying to look like 20-30-something actresses.

If there is one thing to learn from the responses she gets as a 60-something year-old actress, it is that youth doesn’t automatically equal beauty and your appeal is not entirely summed up by your age. I agree with this concept based on the fact that I think actresses Helen Mirren and Judi Dench are some of the hottest and/or most attractive women over 60.

Lesson #3 - The Most Beneficial Beauty Regimens are found in Healthy Lifestyle Choices, not in a Bottle, Tube or Jar.

Although we cannot beat aging or gravity, our lifestyle habits can either slow it down or speed it up – the latter of which is found in basic shade. “I don’t like to be hot, so I don’t have the sun beating down on me,” says Streep. Many of us buy all of these creams, gels, elixirs, powders, etc. to maintain some type of youthful glow and combat wrinkles when the simplest way to do it is by not baking ourselves under the sunlight.

The funny thing about Meryl Streep’s beauty regimen is its absolutely free and when she does indulge in skin and body products, those things also come without a charge. “At the Oscars, they give you this free stuff and whatever is in that pack, I smear it on for a year,” she says.

Streep’s simple method of preserving her looks were made possible by her talents: Being a great actress gave her access to beauty products that she now doesn’t have to pay for – not because she endorses them – but because she uses the contents of her Oscar swag bag in moderation across a span of 365 days.

Lesson #4 - Tomorrow is not guaranteed, no matter how you look.

Streep got tired of spending so much of her life worrying about if she was appealing enough that she can’t even remember the last time it was among her concerns. “As there begins to be less time ahead of you, you want to be exactly who you are, without making it easier for everyone else – I have so many friends who are sick or gone, and I’m here – I’m very fucking grateful to be alive,” she says.

Meryl Streep has over 35 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations combined – more than any other actor in history. This woman is such a powerhouse of talent that comedic actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler joked about her doing well at having the Flu, during their 2013 Golden Globes opening monologue (at 5:17 in the video).

The seemingly never-ending amount of respect that Meryl Streep receives could be attributed to her focusing her energies on the gifts and talents she clearly possesses, making the most of her days on this earth – regardless of who wants to bed her or not.

How do conventional beauty standards affect YOUR quality of life?

You’ll never Leave Africa… – The Danny Archer Effect #atozchallenge

*Spoiler Alert: This post contains information that reveals important plot points in the film it references. If you have not yet watched the movie and plan to do so in the future, some of the following content might spoil the plot and your viewing experience. Read at your own risk.

In Honor of Letter A marking the first day of the A to Z Challenge, I would like to say a special thanks to Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, for starting this blogathon. He makes it possible for thousands of bloggers from around the world to meet new people, build confidence in their writing, expand their knowledge and keep the fun in blogging. Thank You Arlee!

“You’ll never leave Africa” is what a ruthless military colonel says to a diamond and gun smuggler named Danny Archer in the dramatic thriller “Blood Diamond” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. These discouraging words are delivered in such a matter-of-fact way that one would believe Archer doesn’t stand a chance. A combination of business savvy, determination, warfare survival skills and compassion are what leads him to a kind of promise land that is much more valuable than the destination he initially set out to reach. Although Danny Archer is a fictional character, we can learn a lot from him in regards to selflessness, creating a legacy and making our every breathing moment count no matter how much time we have left.

While in jail, Archer met a mine worker named Solomon who possessed a large diamond. So he manipulated Solomon’s interests in finding the miner’s kidnapped son (who has now become a child soldier), upon their release from jail, to get access to this diamond. Archer considered the diamond to be his ticket out of “this God forsaken country” we call Africa. Archer then met a journalist named Maddy who challenged his intentions, as lives were placed in danger – and even destroyed -- in the process of this man’s selfish quest to do whatever is necessary to retrieve the precious stone.

When Archer’s colleagues start acting shady and turn on him, he starts to realize that there are other people who deserve just as much (if not more) of a chance at a ticket to freedom, as he does. The dangerous mission to find Solomon’s hidden diamond also brings Archer in contact with people whom he never met before – yet suddenly became his new allies. Although a rare diamond turned Archer into a greedy monster at times, he used his very last moments to bring change to the brutal realities that Solomon – and people like him face in the wake of political tensions and war that ravish the very place they once called home.

Since the diamond never belonged to Archer in the first place, he paid a heavy and unimaginable price to obtain it, which goes to show that one person cannot rightfully find peace, happiness or riches through the fruits of another person’s labor – especially when these things are sought after in a self-absorbed manner. It is something that Archer may have realized when he chose to sacrifice himself -- and his dream of leaving Africa – for Solomon’s benefit. Solomon found peace, happiness, safety and riches through the fruits of Archer’s labor via connections with Maddy and a pilot who – in addition to the diamond – were Solomon’s “tickets” to a better place.

Archer and Solomon’s experiences are an example of how sometimes, the best way to get to where we want to go is by taking actions that work for the greater good of more people beyond our own reach. Danny Archer helped another man survive war, reunite with family and start a new life in another country – one not laced with conflict and devastation. It is because of Archer that Solomon was able to escape a tragic and possibly deadly fate. So in a sense, Archer did get what he wanted -- his body may not have left Africa but by helping Solomon, he reached his destination – in spirit. Archer’s memory lives on through the survival of a fisherman-turned-miner and his family as well as through Maddy’s telling of the trials and corruption that got them to a new, more promising land.

Danny Archer gained fame, friendship, character, integrity and a legacy that affects the lives of other people – individuals and families he will never know.

Through his actions, he made his life more valuable than one piece of jewelry or plane ticket could ever bring him. It is a prime example of what the Leesburg 33 survivor said, about there not being any human gains without somebody sacrificing, in Shari Thompson’s documentary.

So the next time you long to relocate or have a healthier lifestyle or achieve some other type of goal, I ask you to consider the possibilities of reaching it by using your knowledge and/or resources to help someone else.

Do YOU have an “Africa” that you want to leave? If so, what is your “ticket” out of there?

After slacking off on The Monday Movie Meme last week, it returns today but is going to be quick throughout the month while I do the A to Z Challenge. This week’s theme is based on Danny Archer’s quest described in my A to Z Challenge post above: One-Way Ticket.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, ONE movie featuring someone who is depending on one key thing to change his or her circumstances.

My selection for this week’s One-Way Ticket theme is: “Children of Men.” The main character in this movie risks his life to save the human race by aiding in the transport of the world’s only pregnant girl. The girl’s baby is his and the world’s “ticket” to a better existence.

What ONE movie have YOU watched that features someone trying to change their circumstances by obtaining one particular thing?

Courage under Fire – An #AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal

What makes life worth living? It’s an optional question I asked twelve people who, along with me, are hosting the 2013 Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

The question stemmed from wanting to know if men and women see value in their lives through external forces, internal elements, artificial sources of material or a combination of them all. I also wondered if the answers that followed would help me find one or at the very least -- narrow down a place to identify it since I’ve been looking for an answer to this question for quite some time. After going out of my mind between January and now, trying to pick a theme for the A to Z Challenge (I had one already planned for months and then changed my mind several times), I still came up empty.

So, I decided that the majority of my posts in April will be focused around reflections and perspectives on the very question that has occupied my attention for so long. Fortunately for me, I recently had a brief epiphany that just might be the answer: A New Day.

New days bring with them a chance for new beginnings and that alone with what makes live worth living. Each new day brings with it a fresh start and second, (or third, fourth, fifth, twentieth, seventieth and so on) chances to obtain or experience or feel more, less or the same of what you did yesterday.

A chance…

• To make amends where needed.
• To honor the memory of our fellow man and woman whose death is not in vein – especially the brave ones, especially the innovators, especially the inspiring ones, especially the ones who led by example and especially those who we consider heroes.
• To re-start again or continue where we left off.
• To learn by doing and do things differently or better this time around, if necessary.

What makes life worth living is being able to get back up again when you fall without a safety net. It’s the ability to pick up the pieces after they crumble, and then build a new puzzle. It’s a chance to even find new pieces of the puzzle, if the ones you already had before are gone or no longer available. It’s an opportunity to carve out a new path if the one you were on yesterday was not working. It is your do-over moment; complete with yet another 24 hours to rebuild, rejuvenate or refine the very key to a life well lived – based on whatever you consider a life well lived to be.

We wait for holidays and special occasions to live it up – experience joy, peace, happiness, freedom or a renewed sense of self: Birthdays to celebrate life, New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day to reflect and transform, etc. but none of us are certain if we’re going to live to execute our plans for these occasions.

All who awake each morning on this earth have the same 24 hours to use as we see fit. Our choices are what make all the difference in these 24 hours that we have in common. Each new day brings with it a choice to waste your time being idle or to spend your time being productive – once your time is up, it’s over. One can look at this in the perspective of losing or running out of time but I know that is a self-destructive mindset to be in. On the contrary, I think that even if its 11:59pm, you still have 60 seconds to relax and rest or laugh and cheer. Either way, it’s your call – better to be in peace or filled with joy than in anger and discomfort.

Since the only thing guaranteed in life is death, I believe it would be beneficial for us to make the most of whatever time we’re given – in each day that we receive – by thinking and behaving in accordance with the things that we deem as being worth our next breath. Here is the kicker, however, that tends to stop us dead in our tracks: Life is Hard.

It is not easy to live and some of us are often in a state of constant battle. We’re at war with other people; we’re at war with ourselves, we’re at war with policies and beliefs -- and many times, we don’t even know who or what we’re at war with nor do we know why we’re at war at all. The result is a destruction of our own will to triumph and rise above when things don’t go as planned. Victory is not won in a life that has no value. Instead, it is made possible by having the balls to navigate through this madness and find a place where you can be the change and truth you want to see in the world. It’s about having (or at least seeking, if you don’t) courage under fire.               

When my 26 observations about the value of life and all its inner battles from A to Z are introduced in April, I hope they reflect an inspiration from which I’ve now become able to put it altogether – a 20^th Century Fox movie about an Army Lt. Colonel, played by Denzel Washington, who faces his own demons when investigating whether a Captain, played by Meg Ryan, deserves the Medal of Honor for being killed in combat.

Through stories about what happened and didn’t happen in their war zone, the characters in this mystery thriller are given opportunities to make amends and rewrite history.

When given a new day, some stuck to their guns no matter what damage it cost them, while others – particularly Washington’s and Ryan’s characters – used their time to make things right (whether it be for the benefit of themselves or that of a fellow human being) when things were going so wrong.

What do YOU think makes life worth living? Are YOU participating in the A to Z Challenge?

I want to send a special shout out to Mina Lobo at Some Dark Romantic and David Macaulay at Brits in the USA for encouraging A to Z Challenge participants to reveal their themes before April arrives.