Monday, May 23, 2011

You're So Vain

I often say of my daughter (who is still just a toddler) that she's never met a mirror she didn't like. I mean, literally, she is incapable of passing a mirror without admiring the beauty that she most definitely owns and I do her humility no favors by showering her with as many compliments and touts of how infinitely gorgeous she is on a daily basis. If there's one area in which I hope my baby girl never lacks confidence, it's that of self-image—so take that airbrush nation.

That said, I am also completely aware of the superficiality that can develop if you tie your self-worth into your physical appearance. There has to be more substance to your total make-up than just the glow of your skin, the build of your body, and the tags on your rags. You have to be every bit as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside, otherwise you are akin to a piece of artwork done without purpose—beautiful to look at, but essentially soulless.

Outer beauty fades, inner beauty doesn't. It 's that simple. Never forget to cultivate the spirit in as many ways as you do the body.

That means making time for others, being a voice where there isn't one, extending a hand when needed, and always remembering to do everything with purpose and from the heart. If you do those things, you will encompass a more enchanting beauty than you've ever witnessed before. That will be the beauty people appreciate every bit as much as that which you see in the mirror.

No comments: