Okay, as you look at the title please do not judge me as a vapid, vainglorious, woman. I am using this as my topic today because I saw an event on Facebook for "I Am Beautiful" day. I checked out the event page to see what it is about. The idea is that on October 6, 2010 people on Facebook should set their status as "I am beautiful". It is about embracing ourselves and accepting ourselves as the beautiful, unique creations we each are. I am totally on board with that. I also feel like being an advocate for celebrating beauty. Only in the past ten or twelve years have actually come to accept that I am beautiful. Honestly. I have always known I was intelligent, and I have generally liked myself. However, I never really believed that I was physically attractive. I knew I was not unsightly or hideous, but pretty? That took a good 25 years to accept. The turning point for me was realizing that what is inside matters vastly more than what is on the outside. At that point I started seeing everyone different. It was a "light bulb" moment. It is as if I look more at a person's heart or character or whatever you may call that internal quality. The content of a person's heart lights their outer appearance for me now. It also lights how I see myself. When I am being caring, giving, and striving to make a difference (even if it is for one person) then suddenly when I look in the mirror I see a "glow" that comes from within. Conversely, when I am being self-centered or critical, I see the darkness. Thus, as a slightly vainglorious women, I try to live a life of giving, caring, and appreciating. So I can be beautiful.
Hopefully the rest of you figured out the whole beauty thing sooner than I did. 25 years is a long time to feel not beautiful. If not then think about it. Each of us is beautiful, and no one can take that from us. Time can not steal your beauty. Cosmetics can not give you beauty you do not already have. Its all about letting your heart light shine.
Go forth and be beautiful!
Oh Allie, you have always been beautiful to me both inside and out! Your personality shines and so do your eyes and smile! You made me laugh so hard on a daily basis (don't think I could have done that job without you and Judy!)
ReplyDeleteI hear ya though. I never think of myself as pretty or whatever and even my personality lately is pretty ugly! But we are all beautiful in our way and people do see that!!
You are beautiful my friend!!
I always thought that you were beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI struggled with the same issues though, but now I look back at photos and realize I was way hotter than I gave myself credit for!
I think we all suffer from the Dorothy syndrome...never realizing the power and beauty we have always posessed. I now feel like I need to be a Glinda the good witch and remind people "you always had it". Thanks for the kind words lovely, foxy ladies.
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