Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.

It is not something
physical. ~Sophia Loren
Even though I got Joey McIntyre from The New Kids on the Block to sign my scolio
sis back brace in the sixth grade, I still felt ugly wearing it.
I didnt realize the irony back then, but in retrospect it seems a little funny I
grew crooked considering I convinced myself I was wilting in my sisters shadow. (
I also had braces and headgear, but thats another story.)
I was a kid who wanted to be beautiful, but more desperately wanted to feel love
d. My self-esteem increased through the years, but I never quite shook the sneak
ing suspicion Id never be beautiful enough. Or maybe lovable enough.
It would be easy to blame it all on society and the Kate Moss era of modeling, b
ut I think its more than that. I just never learned to notice and appreciate all
the beautiful things about myself. The stuff that has nothing to do with my wais
tline, skin tone, or eye lashes and everything to do with who I am.
I never learned to give myself the credit for all the good I do in the world. I
was too busy cataloging my weaknesses, mistakes, and flaws to recognize it.
It seems like such a cliche to say pretty is as pretty does, but the truth is ph
ysical beauty is subjective. And no matter how closely someone matches your idea
l of physical perfection, that will eventually fade. What endures are the qualit
ies, passions, and habits we nurture.
Thats what makes us beautifuland believe me when I say there is something beautifu
l in everyone. If youve done any of the following lately, you are absolutely beau
tiful:
1. Smile. As the quote goes, Ive never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.
2. Be there for someone who needs you even if theres nothing in it for yougive wit
hout expectations.
3. Make a sacrifice for someone you love.
4. Admit a mistake, even if its hard to say youre wrong, and work to make amends.
5. Share your struggles, putting your ego aside, to make someone else feel less
alone.
6. Create something that helps people. A song, a blog, a support group, a non-pr
ofitanything that inspires.
7. Help a child feel good about him or herself.
8. Tell someone what you appreciate about them, even if you feel vulnerable.
9. Forgive someone without needing to hear the words, Im sorry.
10. Create positive energy around you by thinking positive thoughts and acting w
ith positive intentions.
11. Sit with reality without judging anyone or anything.
12. Accept someone for who they are instead of trying to change them to who you
want them to be.

13. Treat people as they want to be treated.

14. Notice something simple but beautiful in the world around you.
15. Acknowledge the beauty in others instead of feeling threatened or competing
with other people.
16. Be the change you want to see in the world, as per Gandhis suggestion.
17. Tap into your personal power and do something that makes a difference in the
world.
18. Find strength in a challenging moment. Its not easy to do, and you deserve cr
edit for it.
19. Talk kindly about the world around you instead of gossiping or complaining.
20. Forget yourself for a minute and do nothing but listen to someone who needs
it.
21. Measure a person by their best moments, not their worst.
22. Give yourself the same courtesyfocus on the good youve done, not the mistakes
youve made.
23. Take the high road when someone hurts you instead if being cruel or catty.
24. Make someone laugh. A smile can literally melt stress and pain away. How bea
utiful of you to do that for someone else!
25. Make someone crytears of joy that is. People want to feel moved, inspired, mo
tivated. Never underestimate the power of touching someones heart.
26. Keep an open mind instead of sticking with a judgment or assumption.
27. Love what youre tempted to fear.
28. Be the voice of optimism when the people around you need it badly.
29. Show humility when your accomplishments would make it easy to stand above pe
ople.
30. Handle rejection or failure with grace. Its far more easily said than doneand
it sounds so cheesy and clichebut accepting loss gracefully makes you a true winn
er.
31. Show unbridled enthusiasm for something that excites you. All children are b
eautiful, and I think their unadulterated joy has a lot to do with it.
32. Hear what someone means, not just what they say. Anyone can nitpick. Not eve
ryone actively works to be understanding.
33. Imagine a world where people know peace, and do one small thing to create it
.
34. Honor the values that matter to you. Showing integrity is the first step to
feeling good about yourself.
35. Accept and love yourself, just as you are in this moment.

And now a disclaimer: some days you may not do anything written abovein fact, you
might do the exact opposite. On those days you are still beautiful.
There are times when, like Alexander, Im having a terrible, horrible, no good, ve
ry bad day. Times when it seems like I might get swept into the tornado of chaos
around me. Times when the voice in my head is unkind, and I interpret everythin
g that happens through a negative filter. When I think the worst of people and c
omplain about it; when I expect the worst of my day and lament it.
This admission might seem like the biggest possible acknowledgment of hypocrisy,
but I have nothing to give if not my honesty. And the reality is I am imperfect
. We all are. We all have moments of weaknessbut theyll only define us if they far
surpass moments of kindness, compassion, love, and strength.
Being beautiful doesnt mean adhering to some picture-perfect fantasy, or living e
very moment that way. It means realizing this moment is a new opportunity to be
who you want to be, and making the effort to seize it.
How will you be beautiful today?