One of the prime solutions for wrinkle formation on your face is an ingredient that is injected into your skin. Hyaluronic acid is the base of this wrinkle solving chemical and it is present in our bodies by birth. Unlike most other components used for the treatment of wrinkles injections are not made up of any components that originate from animal sources as well as its chances of causing allergy are very minimal.

The actual method of operation:

Most commonly the duration of the process is less than half an hour for every sitting with your doctor. First it is the application of a cream in order to numb the lips of the individual to be treated however it is not very necessary as there is not much of pain that is caused.

Can there be any risks involved?

Like most other anti aging treatments you might experience temporary effects like swelling and redness however they do not last for long. Generally injections are not known to cause any serious side effect and since the products are in use for a long time now it can be said to be tried and tested, also it is said to be safe because of the observation in several cases which showed no side effects at all.

You also don’t have to wait for results to be seen, in most cases the results of the injection can be seen almost instantly and this is a great aspect that many other treatment methods lack. So in case you are planning to get the anti- ageing treatment done injections are the way to go.

Healthy Skin Habits Essential Along With Creams

My adoration for women is actually a rather innocent one if I am allowed to judge myself. I will be more than happy to outline my criteria that define my own judgment, because it’s not righteous to be one’s own judge. But, I think I will let my results speak for themselves.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for most exotic beauty, goes to Jennifer Connelly. I cannot get her hair out my head from the movie Blood Diamond. Of course, she’s in the bushes in West Africa following the story of conflict diamonds and doesn’t have time to setup an appointment with a hairdresser. But when someone can be that gorgeous even under those circumstances, that’s what drives me wild. Forget the fact that I’ve been in love with her since I first saw her in Labyrinth and I’ve followed her career throughout some of my most favorite movies including House of Sand and Fog, Dark Water, and He’s Just Not That Into You. Jennifer Connelly steals away with the most beautiful woman in the world for most exotic beauty.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for being an unexpected hottie, goes to Jenna Fischer. I started watching The Office when it first came out in 2005 and I noticed the cute receptionist behind the desk. I loved the way she flirted with Jim and dealt with Michael. I was actually rooting for Jim and now he finally is with her, with a child and the whole nine yards. But then, I saw her on the cover of Shape in November 2009. It seriously was one of those Wow moments. Who in the world is that? The hottest little hottie to grace the cover of Shape, and I had no idea that the cool, cute receptionist from The Office was that gorgeous. Jenna Fischer takes by a landslide the most beautiful woman in the world for being an unexpected hottie.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for absolute adorability, goes to Jennifer Aniston. Bursting onto the scene in Friends, she caught everyone’s attention with her rich-girl innocence and her amazing beauty. The Rachel hairdo became a national hit. Millions of girls tuned in every week just to see what she was wearing. Even though she couldn’t miss no matter what she wore, she had some of the most famous outfits including the green dress in TOW No One’s Ready, the yellow dress in TOW All The Kissing, and the black dress in TOW Monica’s Thunder. Rachel Green owned that show and Jennifer Aniston went on to star in such favorites as Office Space, Along Came Polly, and The Break-Up. Jennifer Aniston sweeps the votes for the most beautiful woman in the world for absolute adorability.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for pure loveliness, goes to Angela Kinsey. Another unexpected beauty comes from The Office in the form of Angela Martin. She plays the straight-laced accountant who can’t stand inappropriate behavior, excessive indulgence or frivolous activities. However, she goes on to have an affair with both Dwight and Andy at the same time showing us that she too is human and not above temptation. But then, I saw Angela Kinsey sport a turquoise blouse with black shorts, high heels and straight blonde hair. That’s when I realized how perfectly gorgeous she really was. That was just the first of many enjoyable other-thanThe Office sightings including the red bikini top and cut off shorts on a day at the beach with her daughter, the blue dress at the premiere of “Meskada” after party, and a slew of red carpet outfits that knock me dead every time I see her. Angel Kinsey blasts the competition away for the most beautiful woman in the world for pure loveliness.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for stunning angel, goes to Emily Procter. Of course, I first noticed her as Calleigh Duquesne in CSI: Miami, a beautiful detective who was nice to everyone, but stern at times when the situation called for it. The first episode I watched was when a new officer was being introduced to the force and one of his first duties was as an observer of everything Calleigh was doing. She explained a few things to get him up to speed and then she welcomed him to the Miami Dade Police Department. Her eyes stayed fixed for what seemed like eternity and she flashed that smile that would haunt me for years. Emily Procter triumphs as the most beautiful woman in the world for stunning angel.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for sheer elegance, goes to Sasha Alexander. She hit the scene in her first memorable performance as Gretchen, Pacey’s older sister, in the wildly conflicted, overly dramatic, idealistic world of Dawson’s Creek. She and Dawson share a romance that is encumbered with too much thinking and not enough spontaneity, even though once in awhile you see sparks of an actual relationship in there somewhere. She immediately became one of the actresses who holds the status, “If she is in it, I will watch it.” Hence, my attention turned to NCIS when I saw her pure gorgeousness grace the show as the big sister type to the team. Obviously, I was heartbroken when she was murdered by Ari. But, Rizzoli & Isles have become the balm that soothes all ails. Sasha Alexander gallops away with the most beautiful woman in the world for sheer elegance.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for unmatched brilliance, goes to Beth Riesgraf. Repelling into my life as Parker in Leverage, she is a bit naïve about certain facts of life even though she is remarkably skilled in cracking safes, scaling buildings and gaining entrance whether legally or illegally. It’s the stern look that comes across her face when she is thinking about something as deep as she can, but her smile is mesmerizing. You melt when you see her fifty gorgeous expressions. Where has she been all my life? She pulls off beautifully the rock and roll blonde, the straight hair formal and the runway yellow dress with designer pocketbook to match. Beth Riesgraf lifts the most beautiful woman in the world for unmatched brilliance.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for stealing the show, goes to Natalie Portman. Of course, she had been in Anywhere But Here and Beautiful Girls along with a slew of other huge hits. But, I didn’t sit up and notice her until a pregnant girl with no shoes is abandoned at America’s department store in Where the Heart Is. Adopted by a crazy couple, she grew from a childish teenager into a professional lady who finally learns how to trust her heart again. From then on, I have not been able to take my eyes off of her. She rocks the innocent look in Sesame Street while dominating sexy in such works as Black Swan and No Strings Attached. Natalie Portman is hands down the most beautiful woman in the world for stealing the show.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for total whiplash head turner, goes to Katherine Heigl. When you see her smile from the side in that infamous “sucker” scene in The Ugly Truth, your heart passionately screams, “I want to be in that guy’s shoes.” She’s down to earth playful, seriously red carpet hot and even pulls off the bad hair day with beauty most runway models would die to embody. I think I love her most when she’s facing her own mortality in Grey’s Anatomy “Good Mourning” or facing someone else’s in “Dream a Little Dream.” It’s in those deadly serious moments that you find her true beauty glowing from within. Katherine Heigl rules the most beautiful woman in the world for total whiplash head turner.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for dripping hot sexy, goes to Charlize Theron. When she caught my attention in The Devil’s Advocate, I thought to myself that someone would literally have to be daft to drift away from her into a meaningless marriage. But, that was written into the script. Just look at how she rocked Mighty Joe Young, Reindeer Games, The Italian Job and Hancock. She even made a serial killer seem likable in Monster. But to really understand the jaw dropping, massive coronary, stand-there-with-nothing-to-say pure sexiness Charlize exudes, all you have to do is witness her raw amour as she walks down the hallway leaving layers of clothing behind in the renowned Dior J’Adore commercial. Charlize Theron demands the most beautiful woman in the world for dripping hot sexy.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for pure enchantment, goes to Christi Paul. The CNN’s Headline News anchor as well as for In Session on truTV. She is the ultimate girl next door with the prom queen beauty. But, there were some Miss America aspirations that could have come true as witnessed by her climb from Miss Mansfield to Miss Greater Cleveland as she worked her way up to running for Miss Ohio in 1993. WDTV was smart to hire her as broadcast journalism just seems to be in her blood. And now you know where I get my news spoon fed from everyday. Christi Paul wears the most beautiful woman in the world crown for pure enchantment.

Robin Meade certainly shares the title of pure enchantment along with Christi Paul. With her adorable laugh and the new style she has brought to the news, I stay on top of what’s going on in the world today and it’s easy to figure out why. Plus, Robin’s song Welcome Home is a touching tribute to the troops who are fighting overseas and that means a lot to a veteran like me. But, the reason why I step out of protocol and share a title between these two gorgeous anchors from CNN is because their lives are so totally similar. Robin Meade was born in Ohio in 1969. However, she went on to become Miss Ohio in 1992 and was one of the top ten finalists in the 1993 Miss America Beauty Pageant. They both are married with children and living in Georgia. So, I tap Robin Meade to share the most beautiful woman in the world for pure enchantment with Christi Paul. It’s the most beautiful woman in the world for crying out loud! I’m sure they don’t have a problem sharing it.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for knocking my socks off entirely, goes to Scarlett Johansson. With only one exception, the mysterious skip in 2000, Scarlett has at the very least brought us something new every year since her inception in 1994 with North. Among my favorites are Lost in Translation, The Perfect Score, and In Good Company just to name a few. But, it’s when she plays the parts in such movies as He’s Just Not That Into You that you see her amazing sensuousness. Her wonderful laugh, the elegant look over her shoulder, even her ability to be innocent while entrenched in raw passion makes me fall in love with her over and over again. Scarlett Johansson epitomizes the most beautiful woman in the world for knocking my socks off entirely.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for endearing fascination, goes to Julie Bowen. Catching my attention in Ed, I immediately hung on her every scene. I cursed the director and the other actors who were stealing our precious time away from me. But then, she became the love interest in Happy Gilmore and Adam Sandler’s daydreams are nothing short of ingenious. She is the reason I became a fan of Boston Legal just like she’s the reason I watch Modern Family now. Her soft brown eyes can flash intense every once in awhile. But, her smile! It’s the kind of smile that radiates and it is very contagious. Julie Bowen exhibits utter greatness of the most beautiful woman in the world for endearing fascination.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for being drop dead gorgeous, goes to Diane Lane. She cannot be touched! Since 1979, she has touched my heart and I wasn’t even aware of how deeply then. But, I caught on when she exploded on the screen in Streets of Fire. That was the making of history. An all-time favorite of mine, I have enjoyed her in such greats as Chaplin, A Walk on the Moon and Under the Tuscan Sun. But, she brings it home in works like Jack, Judge Dred, and The Perfect Storm where she’s not the lead but she steals each scene. She’s class and elegance and everything you can say about a princess. A genuine model of all that is beautiful in the world, Diane Lane easily exemplifies the most beautiful woman in the world for being drop dead gorgeous.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for everlasting magnificence, goes to Ashley Judd. So powerful in her back story, she left her mother and sister while they were still on the road performing. She went off on her own to do her own thing and what a gift she has given us! She’s in a long line of favorites to cherish such as Double Jeopardy, High Crimes, and Where the Heart Is. She could easily become a cult classic with roles like Eye of the Beholder, Twisted and Bug. She has the allure to bring fans from the outskirts into the mainstream because she can be pleasantly charming even when her character might be suffering from alcoholism, is mentally disturbed or grossly psychotic. Her beauty requires absolutely no makeup as she rocks the red carpet in dresses and skirts that she makes look good, while trumping the beauty of all the celebrities who flock to take their pictures with her. Ashley Judd simply is the world’s most beautiful woman in the world for everlasting magnificence.

The most beautiful woman in the world, for redeeming grace, goes to Dana Delany. A routine Dana photo shoot can produce such great shots as the purple blouse with sexy hair in her eyes, the blue dress from Desperate Housewives, and the black shirt staring into the camera from Kidnapped. Truly amazing how effortlessly she makes it all look. I won’t mention her age, which is by far the most phenomenal feature about her beauty. My heart skipped a beat when she leaned against the tree in Tombstone. I’ve watched every ounce I could find of her since, catching old reruns of China Beach, Wild Palms and Sweet Surrender. Checking out Multiple Sarcasms, A Beautiful Life and even Route 30. But now, I will be able to get my weekly Dana dosage in Body of Proof. I can’t imagine this world without her! Dana Delany deserves most beautiful woman in the world for redeeming grace.

As you can see, these ladies are not ranked from one to three as being the most beautiful woman in the world. They are simply the most beautiful woman in the world. They cannot be put in any kind of order at all. Furthermore, it was very difficult to narrow my choices down to just these three. But, I did it! I finally narrowed my choices down to only those whom I absolutely consider to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

This panel acknowledges the fact that there is indeed a very beautiful woman in the world missing from this year’s choices. There are quite a few in fact including but not limited to farmer’s daughters, nuns, librarians, teachers, ex-girlfriends, sisters and my daughter, who are not included for legal reasons concerning my being on the panel, being its only panel member and to avoid any allegations of bias. It is only due to a sheer mental meltdown after making my selection that the rest of the most beautiful women in the world were not included.

The title of this article probably allows your thoughts to immediately travel to a person who to you is attractive and appealing-someone you feel has pleasing features and good looks. Obviously you are thinking of the outward appearance of that individual because that is what we see initially when we meet or greet someone – it’s only natural we would focus on their outward presence – and most often we refer to a woman in this context. But the interesting thing is that what one person considers beautiful could be different from what another person thinks is beautiful. Remember that old saying: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? It is certainly a truth as we each see beauty differently according to our own standard. But there is a general perception, a “standard” so to speak, that society adheres to as well.

We know that the world, and probably most, if not all of you reading this right now, feel how you look is important. It’s probably important enough that you make sure to get your hair cut and shampoo it regularly, shop for the perfect clothing for you, purchase beauty and skin care products to look and smell your best, even if you pay attention to only the basics. Some people go a little further in their beauty regimen with things like facials, body wraps, manicures, and more. In fact, many people spend a great deal on bath and body products to feel and look good and fight the aging process. And why shouldn’t we? And others spend a great deal of money on their attire – all for appearance.

Our physical body is an incredible gift and with it we have been given the responsibility to take care of it. People have different views on what that means because we are all unique beings with our own set of beliefs and truths. This is why it is really difficult to set an accurate “standard” for what is beautiful and who fits that description. Haven’t you watched a beauty competition at some time in your life and wondered how one of the contestants is considered beautiful because you’re not seeing it? Again, that’s the uniqueness of each person’s perception.

Here’s an example about the perception of beauty. You know what the dandelion plant looks like I feel sure. It crops up all over the place and when it appears in your lawn, you do what you need to do to get rid of it because it is commonly known as a pesky weed. It does have an attractive yellow flower, but the plant itself isn’t exactly what we’d term a beautiful plant, and you know you don’t want it spreading throughout your lawn. But let’s look further into the dandelion. It has some really wonderful qualities. It is loaded with all kinds of vitamins and minerals, and it has been said that if this is all you had to eat, it could sustain your life for a long time. The dandelion herb or tea can assist in detoxing the liver and other organs in your body, and has been known to alleviate many skin conditions when applied topically. So we see that beauty isn’t always what you can visibly recognize.

As humans we have become conditioned oftentimes to focus on the negative, so we have the tendency to focus on what you believe is a negative aspect of an individual – maybe a big nose or beady eyes, or perhaps a scar of some sort. If we’re a slim person we might think heavier people are unattractive, whereas someone who is chunkier may think skinny people unattractive. Again, it’s the perception of each individual that creates the ideal for beauty.

We also know that as one ages things change. Wrinkles and sagging skin appear, and bodies change. Hair may thin or disappear; the beauty of youth has faded. It is often disconcerting to mature adults when they feel their appeal and beauty has faded. So let’s look a little deeper into real beauty.

According to Webster, beauty is a quality attributed to whatever pleases or satisfies the senses or mind. This can reference color, texture, motion, tone, looks, features, qualities, or high degrees of fineness. Synonyms that correlate to beauty are attractive, lovely, comely, elegant, glamorous, radiant, charming, pretty, good-looking, stunning. If we go to the deeper level of beauty, we find synonyms like valuable, has merit, warm, kind, worthwhile, wonderful, splendid, superb, etc., so it seems beauty encompasses a lot more than merely the outward looks of an individual.

I’ve known many beautiful individuals in my life and I imagine you have too, people who shine with love and kindness that radiates out to you with an open invitation to enter their life and heart. This could be your spouse or partner, a friend, children or parents, a colleague or just about anyone. These people attract others to them because they have a beautiful energy that exudes outward. We like to be in the presence of these individuals because they lift our spirits and make us feel good.

So basically what we see here is that true beauty comes from a heart that operates from love, for love radiates kindness, appreciation, acceptance, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, patience, respect and any expression that uplifts and encourages us. Our spirit gravitates to such a person because this is from love, and love is a higher energy that raises us up. Remember that your essence is love – you came from love but forgot it once you entered this life and accepted the world’s base of fear. So it is only natural that your spirit craves a return to being in the presence of love with loving experiences and people.

The message here is to look beyond the outward appearance for true beauty. External beauty can easily fade and change due to the aging process or unexpected experiences, but a person’s internal beauty remains even through the mature years and/or unexpected circumstances. When you think back and remember someone, it’s their kindness, caring or expressions of love (or lack of) that you remember much more than whether their face was beautiful or not. Additionally, the loving spirit of those you remember or presently know radiates through their being so that their outward appearance seems more beautiful.

Look inside of you right now to see what is really most important by your standards. Do you focus on simply the outward appearance or do you see the real beauty of an individual? What do others see in you? Do you radiate love to everyone in your life? Will that be what they remember about you? All of us have incredible value and worth, all of us have many aspects of beauty, and all of us have the potential for sharing love. All it takes is for us to open our eyes to see it! Are you one of the Beautiful People?

While shopping at one of my favorite boutiques, I ran across this adorable little trinket that had a modest inscription on it that read: “Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful”. The timing was perfect for me to receive this message because I had just recently decided to end a long-term friendship that had become severely dysfunctional and was weighing me down emotionally. Like most people who experience an end to a long-term friendship, whether it was a positive experience or not, the finality of the split left me feeling relieved and out of sorts all at the same time. Feeling beautiful was probably the last thing on my mind at the time because the “friendship” had become so offensive to my psyche. It felt like an all-out assault to my spirit in an attempt to systematically convince me that I had nothing to offer. Yet, when I read the caption on the little ornament that day in the boutique, it spoke to me in a way that I cannot describe. I felt like my soul had just awakened by a fierce inspiration! I thought how wonderful it would be if each of us could feel the same reassurance that I felt that day by simply taking a step back and appreciating our own God given beauty! Not just the physical beauty, but our entire beautiful self, inside and out. I reflected on how important it is never to give anyone control over our perceptions of ourselves because God created each of us in his own image and He did not make any mistakes on any of his creations!

Even though we know in our heart that we are uniquely designed by God, we all at some point in our life have fallen victim to allowing ill-intentioned “friends” or that nagging voice in our head that try to persuade us that we are less than. In so doing, we fail to fully appreciate our own individuality and the marvelous qualities that we have to offer. Not recognizing or appreciating our own unique beauty is similar to the inference in the quote by Alice Walker that says: “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it”, (The Color Purple). That may be putting it a bit bluntly, but sometimes we need a candid wake-up call. The same concept applies to how we view ourselves, not just how we view a color somewhere in a field. Even though we get the point, I have noticed that women in particular repeatedly fall into the trap of comparing themselves to others and not embracing their own beauty. Physical beauty has become such the end all, that many people have such blind envy of others because of their physical appearance that they have no regard to the personal struggles someone might be going through, despite how well put together they may appear on the outside. In spite of this and as straightforward as it may sound, if each of us would begin to practice being our own kind of beautiful, then we would realize that each of us is beautiful just the way we are.

At any rate, although physical attractiveness can be quite enticing, outer beauty is fleeting. Therefore, a person’s character, morals and values should be the factors that true beauty should be judged. These core traits are not merely handed down through great genetics and more importantly; they never fade away. Remember the old saying, pretty is as pretty does? If someone is lacking in these three intrinsic fundamentals, then it really does not matter what they look like on the outside. Physical beauty has no correlation at all to the goodness or essential quality of a person. OK, for those who may be a little harder to persuade maybe we can take gradual, baby steps toward adopting this revolutionary standard of looking at beauty. For the sake of compromise, let’s say the new standard of judging beauty can consist of a combination of both physical and inner characteristics. However, in all fairness the fundamental core of who a person is should at least carry a higher weighted average than what the person looks like. Fair enough? Well, until this notion becomes widely accepted, which quite frankly may take an act of God; I will suggest a few simple ideas to help remind everyone to honor God by simply being your own kind of beautiful on the inside and out.

One way to practice being your own kind of beautiful is to celebrate your God given gifts and beauty. The fact that each and every person on this earth is uniquely designed, down to our personalized fingerprints, is astounding! Whether it is an internal or physical characteristic that makes you uniquely beautiful, you should focus on just one trait at a time and celebrate it. We have so much to be thankful for, so celebrating one thing at a time can be as simple as showing gratitude for having that distinctive attribute. Once you begin to do this on a regular basis, you will begin to naturally appreciate how wonderfully designed you are. For example, I have always been into physical fitness, sometimes more than others, but overall I have been blessed that God has made me physically strong and healthy. Although I could have chosen to sit around and focus on someone else’s physical attributes, I have chosen to celebrate my own. As such, I joined a hiking club and push my physical endurance to the limit on a regular basis by hiking through rugged terrain to reach altitudes that I never thought I would reach by foot. A couple of added benefits are that for one I meet interesting, like-minded people and in addition I am keeping physically fit by doing something I enjoy. If you have never been hiking, you cannot imagine the beauty that can be seen from the vantage point from atop a mountain. For miles on end, there is the beauty of nature, including speckles of purple in a field of flowers. I thank God each day for giving me the physical ability to be able to do these types of physical activities; particularly after having been bound to a wheelchair for several months after an injury. I celebrate my blessings every chance I get by putting my gift to use. The more I use it, the more physically and mentally strong I become. You will be surprised at how doing simple things like this can help you discover your blessings which you may have overlooked in the past because you have spent so much time comparing yourself to someone else. So, get out there and keep it moving by discovering or rediscovering your beautiful self!

This brings me to my next piece of advice that I will offer to you to practice being your own kind of beautiful which is to stop comparing yourself to others, period. Many times, no matter what our station is in life or how many compliments we receive from others, we somehow still feel like we fall short in comparison to someone else. What I have discovered is that a person will not be able to fully appreciate their own beauty if they continue to try and emulate someone else’s beauty. It is irrational to look at the external beauty of someone else and feel envious. First of all, envy is a sin and secondly physical beauty is fleeting, so why even bother. So, instead of comparing yourself to others you should thank God for creating you in his own image. On this subject, I want to share how moved I was by a speech given by Iyanla Vanzant entitled, “You Matter”. In it she stated something that really grabbed my attention regarding the whole concept of how wasteful it is to compare yourself to others. In her speech she said, “It is an act of violence to compare yourself to other people”. That is such a powerful statement! In order to fully appreciate the full force of this statement, you have to take a moment and absorb its significance. If you really think about it, not only is it an act of violence, it is also irreverent to compare yourself to others which in a way marginalizes your own beauty and uniqueness. Ironically, I found this concept also works in the reverse as it reminds me not to look at others with such a critical eye and to appreciate the fact that they too are uniquely designed by God. Psalm 139:14 says, ‘I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well”.

One final suggestion that I will impart on the subject of being your own kind of beautiful is that it is important to appreciate and not emulate others’ beauty. It is one thing to admire a person’s beauty, however, you have completely crossed the line if your adoration of another leaves you feeling demoralized. Fortunately, there is a healthy balance between celebrating your own beauty and appreciating others’ beauty; particularly without feeling jealousy which is a by-product of emulation. The most confident women are those who embrace their own beauty and can appreciate others for their beauty in a healthy way. This confidence is reflected in many ways such as being graceful in how you carry yourself as it will reflect in how you view others. As the saying goes, “Elegance is [the only] beauty that never fades”. As I stated earlier, beauty is unique to each individual and it does not always mean physical beauty. Yes, it is important to strive to be your best self, inside and out. However, you do not have to jeopardize your self-worth in the process by impersonating others. That is why it is important to check yourself from time to time to ensure you keep a healthy balance between appreciating versus emulating others. Feeling confident in who you are and what you have to offer will allow you to appreciate others at a greater level for who they are without feeling envious by trying to imitate them.

In summary, because each of us is uniquely designed by God, we all have an abundance of reasons to appreciate and celebrate our own beauty. Of course, beauty can be viewed in many ways either inner, outer, or a combination of both. We can begin the transformative thinking of being our own kind of beautiful by actively celebrating our own uniqueness one trait at a time. Once we begin to do this, we will become comfortable in our own skin and will be able to appreciate others for their beauty without allowing jealousy or envy to invade our space. No one has a right to try to make you feel that you have nothing to offer. As Iyanla Vanzant stated in her speech, “You Matter”. You do not need anyone to define you or to complete you because God has already done an awesome job at that. Embrace this concept and live it on a daily basis. In other words, start each day by boldly being your own kind of beautiful!

Beauty is Infinite, Beauty is Health, Beauty is Truth, Beauty is Power

What is the Personal Power of Beauty?

Beauty is the power of radiance, and your personal beauty has the power to illuminate your world to a more radiant and bountiful experience. There is abundance, joy, passion, sensuality and pleasure to be had in your beautiful life, and working with your personal power of beauty is a strategy for claiming even more. Your personal power of beauty is a treasure to behold, a way to be bold and a powerful journey for you to unfold. Beneath the surface of your skin is the story of your beauty, and this is the story that is meant to be told.

The personal power of beauty is a magical tool that enhances all aspects of your existence to a more majestic and magnificent experience. Beauty is the source of your personal magic; it is the essence of who you are, it connects you to others and to the plenty of this planet.

What is beauty? Where does it come from? Who has it?
When you think of beauty is it something you know you have within you? Or does beauty seem like something elusive and outside of you?

All people are beautiful, and it is our essential nature to radiate this beautiful truth.

The Beauty is on the Inside

Years ago, I saw an ad that I loved for Burt’s Bee’s products. The photo was of a group of Harley-type bikers, you know, heavy set men, grimacing, hairy and looking kind of scary. The caption on the ad said “The Beauty is on the Inside”. It couldn’t be clearer, beneath the packaging is where you will find true Beauty, it’s on the Inside. This ad cracked me up, just thinking about it still makes me smile; the message was so clear, powerful and beautifully stated. Beauty comes from within, it emanates through the skin and vibrates around us.

Each of us has our own personal beauty, it is the unique essence of who we are, like our signature or thumb print, it is exclusively our own. Our personal beauty or inner beauty stems from the heart, our center of love. Our center of love is the vital force of our spirit, and the vital force of our spirits spring from the source of all life: Whether it be God, Goddess, Great Spirit, Energy, Vibration, the Creator, Nature, the Divine or the Force it is all the same source. Whatever you believe to be the divine spark of life within you; whatever you equate to the magic of your existence; however you understand life with its complexities and perfections and which ever way you account for the air that is your breath and the fire of your spirit all stems from the source of life, and the beauty within you is a part of the package. Our beauty is a divine light that sparks through each cell of our being. You truly can never be anything but beautiful, for you are life and life itself is beauty.

When you understand the source of beauty within you, you then have access to its potential for your greater abundance, power and ability to manifest change. The power of your beauty is already embedded in your essence, ready to glow. However, it is harnessed through your beliefs about yourself and the actions you take in the name of truth, beauty and love. You are born with the tools to become a channel for this very compelling and influential vibration. You are the vehicle for this sacred source to shimmer and shine.

Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty. That is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know.” -John Keats.
We live in a world where our concepts of beauty are decided by the collective consciousness, the standards of our society. Many of us, especially women, are victims of what is known as the ‘beauty myth’. A world where fashion rules, perfect body types are most desired and our ways of looking and being are all meant to sell or consume products: beauty products, fragrances, diet pills, hair color, fashion magazines, douches etc. But that is not what true beauty is made of. The truth is we are already whole and complete beings, we are all perfect because we are each perfectly ourselves. What is true is that beauty is everywhere and within everything. For everything on earth and in the universe is of the divine source. Unfortunately, many of us were not taught to honor our own beauty in this way. We were warned against being too conceited or told we were not beautiful enough and sadly so many beautiful people have never had their own precious nature reflected back to them. We hide our beauty in the shadows, even the super models complain about places within themselves that they find hideous. In subtle and not so subtle ways we have been disempowered and misdirected by the media to seeing ourselves as less than the ideal of beauty. Every commercial on television is an assault, telling us what we need to do to be better, happier and more beautiful. This is the beauty myth and it can destroy our sense of self-esteem and even destroy the joy in our lives, it already has for so many people.

As adults, we need to re-teach ourselves where true beauty comes from. We need to re-connect to the radiant source of life within us and teach this to our children. True beauty comes from the heart and soul and spirit of who you truly are, it is your divine right to resonate with self-love and allow your beauty to take the stage. Your authenticity is buzzing with beauty. Life is love, love is truth and truth is beauty. All of life is sacred and all of life is beautiful. Beauty and truth are hand in hand, one does not exist without the other.

During my commute to Manhattan on the Express Bus one morning, I had the company and pleasure of reading the March issue of Allure magazine. I began by reading the Letter from the Editor Linda Wells and stumped upon this striking catch phrase, the “pursuit of beauty”. Linda explains this phenomenon to be much like the pursuit of the American Dream. It is “a right to determine and improve our essential selves, psychologically and physically…that transcends gender, class, race, age and sexual orientation.” I thought to myself, “this is so true!” What person today does not want to be and feel beautiful? There is no doubt, that we as human beings are acutely sensitive to our physical appearances and will do anything to gain or to maintain our personal beauty. Our insatiable need for all things “beauty” proves that we are all in full pursuit and unapologetically so.

According to dictionary.com beauty is “the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or gives deep satisfaction to the mind.” This emotional bond to pleasure explains why beauty plays such a significant part in our lives. We can’t help ourselves in the presence of things or persons that call to our sensibilities. Physical beauty, though a matter of taste and opinion is also characterized by society’s views. In most cultures, the existence of symmetry or balance is a determining factor of beauty because it suggests the absence of “flaws” or “defects”. Facial balance, complexion, body shape and size, as well as youthfulness are all standardizations of beauty. The characterization of beauty however, cannot be understood without also realizing that beauty has another side to it – One that is not so physical, but rather metaphysical (a more intangible element ). We cannot necessarily see or touch it, yet its presence is undeniable. With that being said, we cannot exclude psychological factors such as personality, intelligence, politeness, elegance or charisma as determining factors in recognizing beauty.

As I researched more into this beauty craze, I stumbled upon some very interesting findings. To my surprise, (ok maybe not so surprised) researchers have found that possessing physical attractiveness can be quite influential in a persons life. Someone who is considered to be beautiful is likely to get higher grades, receive better care from their doctors, receive lighter prison sentences and earn more money. As if we don’t have enough problems in the world today, now we know that uncontrollable factors like our God-given beauty or “lack thereof”, is just another social barrier to add to our list. Whether we acknowledge it or not, and whether we do this consciously or unconsciously, this type of “lookism” has plagued our society for years and can shed some light on the depth of shallowness that exists in our world today.

This daunting truth certainly affects how we perceive ourselves as well as others. The images we see on tv also determine what we consider to be beautiful and is the driving force towards this search for perfection. We spend thousands of dollars and insurmountable time shopping online or at the malls, purchasing all sorts of beauty products, making nail, hair, facial and botox appointments, reading fashion magazines and taking particular note of what our favorite celebrities are wearing, doing and using to stay slim, youthful and yes, beautiful.

Let’s not forget, that there was once a time when we were all mystified by the beautiful models and celebrities, who flawlessly walked the red carpets and flanked the covers of magazines effortlessly, or at least so it seemed. We dreamed about being them and looking like them, thinking they were born perfectly that way. Thanks to our growing obsession with celebrity-life, the shameless and countless invasions of privacy through reality tv, the social networks and the “tell-all” craze, we now not only have the information and the knowledge but also access to the once “top secret” sometimes extreme, physical enhancers.

Don’t get me wrong, the “pursuit of beauty” doesn’t have to mean a trip to a plastic surgeon, nor is it an elusive commodity accessible to only to the rich and famous. We can all be physically beautiful! The multi-billion dollar beauty industry has made sure to fulfill our every beauty need by bombarding us with a plethora of products and services geared towards making us feel and look younger and more beautiful.The opportunities and resources available to us are endless in this department. We have products that make us look younger, products that make our skin smoother, products that make our stomachs flat, products that make our lips plumper, products that give us fuller hair, products that make our lashes longer and thicker, stylists, eyebrow threaders, makeup artists, fashion trends that change every season, adornments like earrings, necklaces, tattoos, hats etc we all use these things to enhance our personal beauty and attractiveness in some way.

The truth is however, our pursuit of beauty is not just about exploiting our “sexual capital”. It’s not just the physical aspect of beauty that enamors us. We are in search of a combination between the seen and the unseen – The physical (outer) and the psychological (inner) because they both thrive off each other. I like many, believe that true beauty comes from within. Inner beauty in my definition, is that undeniable, profound light that shines from you and onto the world. It is your aura, your spirit, the stamp you leave behind after someone meets you for the first time. My father likes to refer to this intangible, spiritual side of our human nature as the “inner man” or “woman”. Though this “inside beauty” may come easier to some than others, it is the beginning stages to fulfilling this intrinsic desire for physical satisfaction or happiness.

If psychologically we can find the power and confidence to see ourselves as beautiful no matter what, then the world would have no choice but to view us that way. Any physical imperfections that we may think we possess can disappear. Possessing internal beauty is the foundation of the pursuit of beauty. After all, we know that with age physical beauty disappears and there are many uncontrollable forces that can easily take away or lessen our physical beauty, like a severe accident or disease for example. Inner beauty comes from a deeper place. It oozes from your heart and soul and serves as a complimentary component to physical beauty.

So why this urgency to want to be beautiful? What lies beneath this so-called pursuit? What is it that moves us into the hunt for near perfection? The truth is, the pursuit of beauty is in fact the pursuit of happiness – they are one in the same. Though Linda refers to this pursuit as being “distinctly American”, to me, it is more so, undeniably human. Whether it is a physical or psychological improvement to ourselves, we are all in search for this completeness. It is a calling to being someone bigger and better than we’ve ever been. It’s about walking out your door everyday feeling like a ray of sunshine, confident with every step you take. It is a goal, a standard to set, that once achieved, is rewarded with a lifetime of confidence, self assurance, pride, grace, poise and enthusiasm for life.

We therefore cannot deny that we are in a new era, where beauty and the acquisition of it, is no longer an enigmatic, perplexing phenomenon, but rather an expression of one’s pride and self esteem. Beauty has now become a lifestyle, and we have learned that physical beauty cannot stand on its own, we can only enhance it. It is only when there is complete synergy between the physical (outer beauty) and the psychological (inner beauty) working in complete balance with each other like yin and yang, can we safely say we’ve achieved our goal in this pursuit of beauty and ultimately happiness.

Can one know what true beauty and goodness are? Is there an objectivity to these attributes, or are they merely what one perceives them to be? Let us focus on what God has created women to be and what society tells them to be. Does the truth lie in women being successful career women to the exclusion of their own feminine nature; in being dependent on the admiration of others for their self-worth; or in their being mere physical objects of pleasure? Or are they called to find the truth of their dignity in the model of Mary, Virgin Mother of God, who reflects and participates in the Divine Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of which all creation is called to reflect and share in?\

The question of truth, beauty, and goodness is one that has intrigued men for centuries. The pagan philosophers seek to identify that which is True, Good, and Beautiful. For the Christian, however, there can be no other answer than that which affirms that the Triune God is the True, the Beautiful, and the Good. By His very essence God is all three. Everything else is so only by participation. We can know this because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2500 tells us that “even before revealing Himself to man in words of truth, God reveals Himself to (man) through the universal language of creation.” All creation reflects its Creator; therefore, we can see something of Beauty itself in creation. Truth, beauty, and goodness, which are called “the transcendentals,” cannot be separated from one another because they are a unity as the Trinity is One. Truth is beautiful in itself. And goodness describes all that God has made. “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Gen.1:31).

Man is the summit of the Creator’s work, as Scripture expresses by clearly distinguishing the creation of man from that of other creatures. “God created man in His own image…” (Gen. 1:27). Thus, man was not only created good and beautiful, but he was also established in friendship with his Creator and in harmony with himself and with the creation around him, in a state that would be surpassed only by the glory of the new creation in Christ. The inner harmony of the first man, the harmony between the first man and woman (Adam and Eve), and the harmony between the first couple and all creation, is called “original justice.” This entire harmony of original justice was lost by the sin of our first parents. Created in a state of holiness, man was destined to be fully “divinized” by God in glory. But he preferred himself to God and disobeyed God’s command.

Thus, Adam and Eve immediately lost the grace of original holiness, and the harmony in which they had lived was destroyed. They were separated from Beauty Itself. God, however did not abandon mankind, all of whom share in the sin of Adam, since “by one man’s disobedience all were made sinners” (Rom. 5:12). In the fullness of time God sent His Son to restore that which had been lost. The Son, who is “beautiful above the sons of men,” came to restore us to beauty.

Thus, we turn now to beauty. Von Balthasar once remarked that when one is seeking to draw others to God, he should begin with beauty because beauty attracts. Beauty will then lead to truth and goodness. Hence, if one is going to begin with beauty then one must know what beauty is. I will make a distinction between two types of beauty, although only one of them is beauty in the truest sense of the definition. There is “seductive” beauty, which is often reflected in our current culture. This would entail whatever allures us to our self-destruction (morally or spiritually). It takes us away from what we were created for, union with Beauty Himself. This type of beauty I will return to, but first I want to establish a definition and proper understanding of what “true” beauty is. This is first and foremost whatever attracts us to our true fulfillment and happiness. In his book The Beauty of Holiness and the Holiness of Beauty, John Saward, drawing on the work of St.Thomas Aquinas, defines beauty as: “the gleaming of the substantial or actual form that is found in the proportioned parts of a material things.” In other words, while one can find beauty in the outward appearance, one must go deeper to the nature or the essence of the thing.

“Thus, in a material substance (such as man) there is beauty when the essence of a thing shines clearly through its outward appearance.” The beauty of one’s soul can be said to shine through a person’s countenance. For this to occur, three things are necessary -wholeness (integrity), due proportion (harmony), and radiance (clarity). It is important to note that understood in this definition is the fact that beauty is a reality in itself, it is not something that we produce by looking at a work of art or some other thing that attracts us. Rather, beauty radiates out of what we see. It radiates out because it is participating in Beauty itself. In regards to Jesus, “Christian Tradition – from Augustine and Hilary to Peter Lombard, Albert, Thomas, and Bonaventure – holds that beauty can be appropriated in a special way to the Second Person…”

St. Thomas says that all three marks of beauty are found in Jesus. Radiance is found in Him because He is the Word of the Father, and the Word eternally uttered by the Father completely and perfectly expresses Him. He is the brightness of the Father’s mind. Due proportion is found in the Son of God because He is the perfect image of the Father. As the perfect image, He is divine beauty. Jesus has wholeness because He has in Himself the whole nature of the Father. In begetting the Son, the Father communicates the whole of His divine essence. Thus, we have a Divine Person, God the Son, who without ceasing to be true God, has been made true man for us in the Virgin’s womb. When one sees the Virgin and the Child, one sees a witness to the Trinity. Pope John Paul II explains that this picture of Mother and Child “constitutes a silent but firm statement of Mary’s virginal motherhood, and for that very reason, of the Son’s divinity.”

It is as such a witness to the Trinity that allows Mary a special place in relationship to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. The Blessed Virgin, said the fifteenth century poet John Lydgate, is the “Fairest Mother that ever was alive.” Many poets and artists have sought to express their praise and admiration for Her who is so closely united to Divinity. When Dante reaches Paradise, he finds the beauty of the Son of God most perfectly mirrored in Mary, of whom He was born. Thus, we will see how Mary is to be for all, but especially women, a model of true beauty, and thus, goodness and truth, as she reflects a sharing in the life of the Trinity. “All the beauty for soul and body that the Son of God brought into the world, all the loveliness He wanted to lavish on mankind, is summed up in, and mediated by the person of His ever virgin Mother, ‘a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars’ (Rev. 12:1). If there is beauty, it is here.”

To understand Mary’s beauty, one must know of the gifts bestowed on her, and her response to these gifts, which put her in intimate contact with Beauty, Itself. Scripture, God’s revealed Word, tells us that “an angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph…and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he (the angel) came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you! … Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call Him Jesus. He will be great and called the Son of the Most High…And Mary said, ‘ How can this be since I have no husband?’ And the angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.’ …And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.'” (Lk. 1:26-38).

To become the mother of the Savior, Mary was given the gifts necessary and befitting such a role. Mary was greeted as “full of grace,” as if that were her real name. A name expresses a person’s identity. “Full of grace” is Mary’s essence, her identity, and the meaning of her life. Mary is full of grace because the Lord is with her. The grace with which she is filled is the presence of Him who is the source of all grace, and she is given over to Him who has come to dwell in her and whom she is about to give to the world. She is by a singular grace free from any stain of sin by reason of the merits of her Son. She possesses the harmony that Adam lost. Thus, she has the first two qualities of beauty: due proportion (harmony) and integrity (wholeness) because by the merits of her Son and the fullness of grace which she has been given, her nature is complete – unwounded and unstained by sin.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church proclaims that “Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time…In her, the ‘wonders of God’ that the Spirit was to fulfill in Christ and in the Church began to be manifested.” Through Mary, the Holy Spirit begins to bring men, “the objects of God’s merciful love, into communion with Christ.”

Grace has been described as “God’s better beauty, the splendor of the soul.” And Mary, who is full of grace, radiates that splendor, that spiritual beauty. Grace (sanctifying grace) gives us a share in the Divine Life; it conforms our souls into the likeness of Christ. Mary in her abundance of grace is a reflected beauty of her Son. She possesses the “radiance” which is the third of the qualities of beauty. The great St. Bernard of Clairvaux declares that “contemplating the countenance of the Mother is the best way of preparing to see the glorious face of the Son.” Saward endorses this idea by pointing to the fact that Our Lord is conceived by the Holy Spirit without seed, thus there is only one human person whom He resembles in His humanity, and that is His Virgin Mother.

How does Mary’s beauty enable women of today to be an image of true beauty, and hence of truth and goodness also? Mary, the Theotokos – the Mother of God, the Mother of Infinite Beauty, who is herself beautiful, will guide women to that which is true and good. She shows the falsehood of “seductive beauty,” which we have noted above as being whatever allures us to our self-destruction (morally or spiritually), by holding up her own “true” beauty in contrast. Before showing the essence of Mary’s beauty, which meets St. Thomas’ requirements for beauty: wholeness, due proportion, and radiance, we will look at society’s claim of womanly beauty. Women today are told by society that what is good and beautiful is that which is glamorous and seductive. Beauty is separated from God, Who is disregarded and Whose goodness is exchanged for a “base mind and improper conduct” (Rom. 1:28), leading to both spiritual and often physical dissolution. The “truth” that they are taught is one which “considers the human being (and hence, the woman) not as a person but as a thing, as an object of trade, at the service of selfish interest and mere pleasure… this falsehood produces such bitter fruits as contempt for men and for women, slavery, oppression of the weak, pornography, prostitution…”

Thus, beauty is often seen as a mere physical quality. It lacks “due proportion” because only one aspect of the whole person is considered. Society emphasizes the physical to the exclusion of the spiritual. Flowing from this same type of mentality, we see that women are honored more for their work outside the home than for their work within the family. What is “seen” as attractive is a woman who is able to achieve the “good” of a successful career, which promises happiness and “equality with men.” In order to achieve this, women often times either renounce their femininity or become a mere imitation of the male role. They are in a sense trading in the quality of “integrity,” which is necessary for true beauty, for society’s limited claim of the beautiful. This “seductive beauty” which promises so much “good” gives rise to a hedonism that distorts and falsifies human sexuality and the true dignity of the human person. This leads not only to a lack of respect for what womanhood is to be, since the truth about their personal dignity as one who was created and redeemed by God is unknown, but it also hinders women from achieving the “fullness of grace” for which they were created. It leads to women’s spiritual destruction because they are not living a life of grace. They are not living for God.

Mary, who lived a grace-filled life, is, however, the model of redeemed woman. God Himself “manifests the dignity of women in the highest form possible by assuming human flesh from the Virgin Mary, whom the Church honors as the Mother of God.” The highest elevation of the human nature took place in the masculine gender, when Jesus, the Son of God, became man and male. The highest elevation of the human person took place in the feminine gender, in the Virgin Mary. Her divine maternity gives her an exalted dignity. She is “blessed among women.” Therefore, all womanhood shares in her blessing and is made radiant by her. “When the Virgin Mary is humbly honored for the sake of her Son, women will be honored…for she has revealed the true beauty of womanhood.”

Looking at what we have already said about Mary, we know “full of grace” reveals her essence, her identity. It is also the key to her reflection of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. It is the key to women discovering the truth of their own dignity, and hence, obtaining the divine life that is offered to them through a life of grace. This is a life that will bestow on them true goodness and beauty, which is a participation in the beauty of the Creator.

Because Mary is “full of grace,” she possesses the wholeness that was lost by Adam. Because of grace, she is “radiant as the sun,” showing in her very being the clarity of a life united with God. Such a union shines forth in a person’s actions; actions which are a reflection of God’s goodness. “The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty” (CCC 2500). These actions, called virtues, “are acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by a perseverance ever-renewed in repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace” (CCC1810). Grace affects every dimension of a person’s life. It is a gift of God that leads us closer to God. The closer we are to God, the more we reflect Him who is Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.

Mary is held up for us as the model of the life of virtue. She is a guide in living a life of faithfulness to grace. Due to space limitation, I will only briefly look at three of the virtues that Mary possesses and calls us to imitate. They are faith, obedience, and charity. The Church hails Mary as an “excellent exemplar in faith and charity” (Lumen Gentium 53). We see her faith when she entrusts herself freely to God at the Annunciation, believing and trusting the angel’s message to her that the son to be born to her would be the Son of the Most High, certain that “with God nothing is impossible” (Lk. 1:30). Her journey of faith continues in her responses to that which occurs in her life of union with Jesus. She flees to Egypt when Joseph is directed to go there (Mt. 2:13-15); she returns in the same manner (Mt. 2:19-23); and she faithfully perseveres in her union with her Son unto the cross (cf. LG#58, Jn.19:25-27), all the while believing and trusting in the wisdom of God’s divine plan. She believed that her Son, though crucified and buried, would rise from the dead. She waited in prayer (Acts 1:14). We, too, are called to be women of faith, believing what God has revealed concerning His plan for us and our salvation.

Flowing from Mary’s deep faith, she shows her loving obedience. Hers was not a servile obedience. Rather it was an obedience that flowed from humility. She knew the wisdom and greatness of God and therefore, sought to live in conformity with it. Being obedient to God meant responding in trust to His all-wise plan. Again, at the Annunciation, she replies in obedience to the angel, “Let it be done to me as you say” (Lk. 1:36). She obediently follows the directions that the angel gives to Joseph, trusting in God. Mary remained obedient to her role as mother even to the cross, where she obediently offers the full assent of her intellect and will to Him whose ways are inscrutable. As we seek to imitate Mary’s obedience, we will find that it frees us from the slavery of sin. Obedience makes us beautiful because it opens us up to God’s grace, to His life and love within us.

Mary’s faith and obedience allows her great charity to shine through. Mary, the Mother of Fairest Love, possesses a self-humbling love, innocent of all narcissism. “It is for Christ and to the glory of the Father, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, that our Lady is ‘all fair.'” She devotes herself “totally as a handmaid of the Lord to the person and work of her Son… she does this freely” (LG # 56). This acceptance of her role as “Mother of the Son of God (is) guided by spousal love, the love which totally consecrates a human being to God. By virtue of this love, Mary wished to always be and in all things given to God.” This love that remains faithful to her Son throughout His life, even to His cruel death on Calvary, extends itself to the brethren of her Son, those souls still journeying on earth (cf. LG #62-63). There is nothing more beautiful than charity, which we are all called to practice, and which inspires and animates all the other virtues (cf. CCC 1827). Charity, the form of all virtues “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col. 3:14), one of the aspects of beauty.

These virtues and the life of grace are possible for all women, who seek to know the truth and avail themselves of the grace that comes from the merits of Jesus Christ, who came to restore mankind to the beauty of adopted children and “partakers in the divine nature” (1 Pt. 1:3). St. Francis de Sales notes that because of grace we are so like Christ that we resemble God perfectly, because in His becoming man, Jesus has taken our likeness and given us His. Thus, we must do what we can to preserve this beauty and divine resemblance that He has restored to us.

Mary helps women to do this. Her beauty attracts, and because it attracts she leads us to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn.14:6). Mary is loved and honored because she reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of her Son by her actions, by her life of virtue. Her role is to lead others to Him and to the truth he teaches and is. This is seen by looking once again at how creation reflects the beauty of God. All that God creates is good; it is beautiful. Jesus, who is the fullness of revelation, has raised creation to an even higher dignity by restoring all things “according to the plan God was pleased to restore in Christ. A plan to be carried out in Christ, in the fullness of time, to bring all things into one in Him, in the heavens and on earth” (Eph. 1:9-10). Thus, harmony is restored, all is made whole, and His glory is made known. Because the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father” (Jn. 1:14)

Man was created in the image and likeness of God; Jesus renewed humanity in His immortal image. He restored us to the likeness of God. Mary reflects the beauty of her Son in her very essence. Mary is the one who will, in cooperation with her Divine Son, help women to discover the truth of their feminine nature, to reflect the beauty of a child of God, and by God’s grace to live that goodness that comes from God alone. Women, to attain this ideal, must turn to Mary as a model, who has been chosen by God from all eternity to be the Mother of His Son, and to be a guide for us on our journey to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, our true fulfillment and happiness. Women should entrust themselves to Mary’s guidance because she already is that which they are called to be: full of grace. As the Church prays in the Divine Liturgy: Lord, as we honor the glorious memory of the Virgin Mary, we ask that by the help of Her prayers, we too may come to share the fullness of Your grace,” so that by that grace we too may reflect that which is True, Beautiful, and Good.

Our culture, around the world, puts so much pressure on us to look good, to stay young, and to stay beautiful. Why? How does this impact us? There are many reasons why. One, from more of an evolutionary stance, is that being beautiful encourages people to procreate. Women who are younger are, of course, more able to have children so youth is seen as something that is desirable; this is natural and helps us have procreate around the world. If we had evolved in such a way to find elderly people to be attractive then we wouldn’t have as many babies and genes wouldn’t be passed on. While this may seem rather scientific and cold, it does have a very evolutionary, genetic aspect to it. It helps us make babies and keep generations going. You could almost say that beauty is in the genes.

But perhaps a far more powerful force that generates what we consider beautiful and affects us is the media. The media is constantly telling us what’s beautiful and what’s attractive because there’s a benefit to that. If we love who we are and don’t see a need to change to improve ourselves then no companies can make money on selling products that improve people. So there’s a sense that “hey, we have to make people feel like there’s a sense that they need to change themselves and make themselves more beautiful so that we can make money.” Again, this may seem cold but it has a very monetary benefit to our culture. It helps us create products so that we can change and look “more beautiful.” So in a sense we could say that we are being brain-washed. We’re being brain-washed as to what beautiful is and it constantly changes, so in that way we are continuously on the move to improve ourselves. We’re never satisfied with who we are; we have to change, stay young and if we are young we have to look differently than we are. That is what keeps the economic wheels turning.

So can we or do we need do anything about this? The answer is “yes.” Yes we should do something about this and yes we can do something about this. So first, why should we do anything about this? Why not just buy into everything we’re told, make changes, and keep improving ourselves to stay young and stay beautiful? Mostly we should do something about this because it’s hard on us. It’s not wrong or inappropriate to make changes to improve ourselves, it’s actually good to do that; but when there’s a sense of constant “deficit” that we tell ourselves “there’s something wrong with me” then changes need to occur. It’s better, far better, to say “Hey, this is the way I am. This is the way God created me, however, can I enhance it or can I make it better?” It’s a lot like a farmer who has a field and there are wild berries there and he can find wild animals to hunt and gather; or he can get domesticated animals and he can till that land and make it even more productive. It’s kind of like that; it’s a choice, we still love the beauty of the wildness but we can choose to improve ourselves.

For a moment, let’s imagine our beauty is an open field. Something that in and of itself is truly beautiful, it’s a gift from God; it’s something we can celebrate and be excited about. However, we may want to change and make some improvements; or we may not, it’s just a choice, either one is fine. If we take it in a way that, “Yes, my hair is graying a bit. I think I’ll color my hair and not let the gray come out” it’s okay; or we can say “Yes, my hair is graying but I’m just going to accept it. I don’t mind the graying” then that’s okay too. But do you see the gentleness there? We’re kind about our looks. We can change them but we can also love them and keep them the same. We can be excited about change and we can be excited about growing old and aging; both can be fine but if we don’t accept what we have, even after the improvements, we are going to be unhappy. I think that’s where we need to be careful about media and advertisements. They really play on us being unhappy with what is. Health is about accepting what is and ultimately loving what is.

Beauty is something that we can change, we can improve upon, and we can accept. But to be happy, to have a good life we need to love what we have and/or love the improvements we make with what we have. If every time we look in the mirror we are self-critical, we attack ourselves and say things like, “That’s ugly. That’s unattractive. Those wrinkles are just disgusting” then we’re going to suffer. Instead, if we say “Hey, that’s a beautiful person there. I love that person and I’m going to make some changes and make that person even more beautiful but it’s a beautiful person even when it gets out of bed first thing in the morning.” That’s hard to do and that’s why meditation can help us improve this.

Let’s work towards improving the way we feel about ourselves because the main person who suffers when we are self-critical about the way we look is us; we suffer. The key to change is to start by being aware of what we are thinking in our head all day long. If we are noticing that we are being self-critical all day long about the way we look then we’re not going to feel good inside. There’s going to be a slow, progressive, self-loathing there. Since we all age, there’s no way we can keep up with the most beautiful people in the world, it’s impossible. So instead of comparing and contrasting, by just loving ourselves we are going to be happy.

For example we may go to an art gallery and see some beautiful Monet Lilies and fall in love with them, finding them utterly beautiful; then we can go to another part of the gallery and see a Michelangelo sculpture and say, “Oh my goodness that is so beautiful!” So the key is to celebrate everything and see it as beautiful. If we don’t judge ourselves and, equally important, if we are not judging other people, then life will go better; because the negative self-talk that we hear in our head is hard on us. The ultimate goal is to quiet your mind and not to judge, not to criticize; just to be with and enjoy all the wonders of life. Celebrate the different shapes, sizes, and looks of everyone around us and life goes so much better.

When I met my wife and began dating her she introduced me to one of the most beautiful women I have ever met in my life. Her name was Vy and it was my wife’s grandmother. She was almost 90 years old and she was short, overweight, and yet she had an indomitable beautiful spirit that just made her glow with a beauty and radiance beyond description. Our actions often make us far more beautiful than the external looks that we have. But the most important person in the world that’s going to help us to feel beautiful inside and out is ourselves. Even if the whole world thinks we are very attractive, if we don’t think so ourselves, then it won’t make any difference. But the reverse is true also. If we celebrate who we are and love who we are, even as we age, we will feel attractive, we will feel beautiful no matter what the world says. So it’s important to pay attention to our thoughts and that’s the beauty of meditation; it helps us to be aware of what we are thinking. Once we are aware of what we are thinking, we can then change what we are thinking. So let’s pay attention to our thoughts. Let’s work on loving who we are, finding ourselves beautiful inside and out, and then love us around us too.