Reflections: Accept Your Own Beauty…
“Accept your own beauty. You are beautiful no matter what your mind tells you. That is a fact. If you are aware of your own beauty and accept your own beauty, the opinion of others doesn’t affect you at all.” Don Miguel Ruiz
Reflections: Accept Your Own Beauty… Beauty comes in many shapes & shades like thread
What does beauty mean to you? Where did you first hear/learn that you are/you are not beautiful? We often hear people say that beauty is only skin deep, but how many of us actually believe it? If we look around us; in magazines, on TV, in movies, everywhere we turn, there is some representation of what beauty should be, should look like, and we are invited to do more, buy more, and become more… Many follow the dictates of what we are taught is the standard of beauty… and still remain dissatisfied. Yet, within our hearts, there is that voice, call it the voice of reason or spirit, that constantly reassures us that we are beautiful for who we are, for our heart and soul quality, for our generous spirit, our compassionate loving acts, for our selflessness and kindness, but many don’t listen. What will it take for us to accept our own beauty? What will it take to grasp the message that beauty is more than looks and to internalize the message that … We are enough?
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson (Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech)
“For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.” Ivan Panin
Reflections: Accept Your Own Beauty… see beyond the outer… go within…
Emily Dickinson aptly said that “Beauty is not caused. It is.” Even with wonderful qualities we possess; character, intelligence, a heartwarming smile and a wonderful sense of humor, many of us are not content with our looks. We live in a world where external beauty is often placed on a pedestal while inner beauty, truth and morality are not as appreciated. Today, I invite you to consider yourself beautiful for all the special ways you honor those around you and for all the things you do to keep your life vibrant. Do you think you are not beautiful? Why? Who has interrupted your ability to express who you truly are? You are beautiful… Accept your own beauty.
She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
“When you reach the heart of life you shall find beauty in all things, even in the eyes that are blind to beauty.” Kahlil Gibran
Reflections: Accept Your Own Beauty… Inner beauty is forever!
We all fall short somewhere and somehow, but beauty is an inner state and we must choose to see our own richness. As don Miguel suggests, we must not let the opinion of others affect or taint our belief in ourselves. Yes, we are all bombarded by media messages and the expectations are incredibly, ridiculously narrow… but don’t let that define you. You are beautiful. Use your awareness to see how this message is true in your life: This I know for sure… beauty is in the eye of the beholder, behold yours now…
A Thing of Beauty by John Keats from Endymion, 1818
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkn’d ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
‘Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
In this post, modified from a prior post, I have also added a few poems (above and below) to jug our memories and remind us why we are cherished and beautiful regardless of what others think or say… More Below. 😉
“Beauty is truth’s smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.” Rabindranath Tagore
Reflections: Accept Your Own Beauty… The mask is temporary, who we truly are is permanent
We can’t afford to go through life with this mentality of being less than the perfect human being or child of God we truly are… The fact that we have life is a beautiful thing… When we wake up in the morning, the sun says good morning and, at night the moon says sleep tight and goodnight, why can’t we accept the greetings and embrace ourselves? Why do we expect perfection when it is not necessary for beauty’s sake? If you look in the mirror everyday and say “hello beautiful” you will be blessed with a divine and miraculous gift… You will learn to see and accept your own divinity; your own beauty. Try it.
BEAUTY by Charles Baudelaire
I AM as lovely as a dream in stone,
And this my heart where each finds death in turn,
Inspires the poet with a love as lone
As clay eternal and as taciturn.Swan-white of heart, a sphinx no mortal knows,
My throne is in the heaven’s azure deep;
I hate all movements that disturb my pose,
I smile not ever, neither do I weep.Before my monumental attitudes,
That breathe a soul into the plastic arts,
My poets pray in austere studious moods,For I, to fold enchantment round their hearts,
Have pools of light where beauty flames and dies,
The placid mirrors of my luminous eyes.
If accepting our own beauty is a challenge, let’s start with a simple wish; that we may learn to love who we are, as we are. What about you? What do you think? What are your thoughts? What does beauty mean to you? Do you remember being called beautiful or not? How did it make you feel? Do share! Thank you. 🙂
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: What makes someone beautiful?
Positive Motivation Tip: We often hear people say that beauty is only skin deep, but how many of us believe it? Honor the beauty within…
More Wellness Boosters/Affirmations & Resources
Related articles
- Acceptance: An Appreciation of Our Bodies and Ourselves… (eof737.wordpress.com)
- “For every beauty …” (thetosinteatime.com)
- What Makes Someone Beautiful? (tating74.wordpress.com)
- Believe in the Beauty…. (throughhimwithhiminhim.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Lalbagh Beauty, Beauty is forever, via Wikipedia. Travelingtribe threads by Jack Fussell, Beauty mask by Hotel Legenstein via Flickr
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Beautiful .
I really enjoyed this post today and the photo’s ~
Absolutely brilliant and inspiring post!
True beauty is found within
I enjoyed the poetry today.
Very weird. I woke up at 4:30 in the morning thinking about that Byron poem and then I come and here it is. The poem was actually in my dream although I don’t remember the details except it had something to do with facebook, either that I was reading it there or posted it there.
Well on the other side of the world, I woke up thinking of the Keats poem. How strange.
Very honest and sincere post.. I found the quote below to be very inspiring,says so much about beauty..
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
Audrey Hepburn
“Accept your own beauty. You are beautiful no matter what your mind tells you. That is a fact. If you are aware of your own beauty and accept your own beauty, the opinion of others doesn’t affect you at all.”
Inspiring words my friend. I think a lot of us don’t realize how beautiful we are and I’m not talking from the physical perspective. Real beauty is from within. If we are good inside, our hearts pure then everyone will see how beautiful we are. We also need to accept and acknowledge that we are beautiful…feel it, live it, share it in humble and constructive way. God created us in his image, therefore I say, “we are all beautiful!” Have a blessed weekend my friend. thanks for sharing and the visits.
We are constantly bombarded with images of what beauty should be — thanks for the reminder that beauty comes from within and is full of peace and contentment. The picture of Lalbagh illustrates beauty perfectly! Thanks so much for the poems today too…
Thank you for another inspiring post, and for Emily and Keats and all the others.
So so heart-warming, great post. very glad to see those classic poems. They truly never die… And it’s the first time I think someone had me in the ‘related post’. That was quite a surprise. Thanks so much. I wish you well…
I think I am of those people who are very conscious in terms of the way they look. Sometimes I can’t help it to have some insecurities but it’s really what other people have to say about my appearance that scares me the most…
We are well on our way to reclaiming our original fearless Self when we find our source of peace and contentment in just being alive. nrhatch.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/
Eliz…you are like the perfect mirror…we look in your posts and see beauty in life and in ourselves. 🙂
Thank you for always providing such inspiring and uplifting words and photos.
You are a beautiful soul…I’m fortunate to have connected with you!
we named our cat after Emily Dickinson and I’m glad that you made a quotation of her:
“Beauty is not caused. It is.”
“Even with wonderful qualities we possess; character, intelligence, a heartwarming smile and a wonderful sense of humor, many of us are not content with our looks. We live in a world where external beauty is often placed on a pedestal while inner beauty, truth and morality are not as appreciated…”
and related to the river:
a wonderful landscape shot … – actually we are living near a very similar broad river, the river RUHR in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany … often we enjoy to walk down by the riverside – noticing some reflections of trees and cattle – and many birds (swans, goose having a break on their way from Sweden to Africa etc.)…
I tried to imagine your face with that blue beauty milk …
Love the Marianne Williamson quote! It is so true that we search outside and it’s been inside us since birth. It took me way too many years to believe it.
Thanks Elizabeth!
b
Wonderful . . . again. I believe everyone possesses some type of beauty
Great article. Love.
Great message here. We are bombarded by society’s view of what beauty is and sometimes we forget that beauty comes in all packages.
I accept my own beauty and I thank you for the exhortation to do so.
You are truly beautiful and at the soul level too. 🙂
B
Thank you so much…this is a lovely post with so many helpful ideas. I really appreciate all the thought and ideas you put into this… : )
This is a *beautiful* post, Elizabeth. I was always told I was attractive, never that I was beautiful. I was never sure what that meant but I accepted it. When I’m confident, I feel beautiful. When I’m in control – of work and personal life, I feel beautiful.
After “On Beauty”, Umberto Eco wrote another book “On Ugliness”. I still haven’t read it yet, but the double portrait on the cover is one of the most sensitive I’ve ever set eye on. The painter is Quinten Matsijs/Quentin Matsys (various spellings; 1466-1529).
You’re so right…Understanding that beauty comes from within, and is perceived from within, makes our lives much more beautiful, too 🙂
Love the photo of the naked trees reflected in the pond. THAT’s beautiful! As is your inspiration, as always.
Wow, you certainly struck a chord with us all in this post, now didn’t you? It’s a difficult concept to come to grips with in a society that is full of air-brushing anorexic-worshipping stereotypes of youth and “beauty” isn’t it? Can true beauty ever really be superficial? I think as we get older, we all come to realize that beauty comes from within. You just say it so eloquently! Thanks for your consistent inspiration. 🙂
Thanks again for a great post. And keep warm and dry.
Great Post! 🙂
I was looking on your site and this post caught my eye. Oh, my goodness that really gathers the truth because I think people put to much time into beauty. Don’t get me wrong it is nothing wrong with looking great and being well-groomed, but to make someone else feel lesser because you are telling them that is how they should be is wayyyyyy overboard. Great post!
This is such a lovely post and a subject very much on my mind as the mirror seems to reflect outward changes so quickly these days and I am still sorting out the inner beauty!!
Age is a great teacher about what beauty really is. As I see the years accumulate on me, there is a joy about being able to see past just skin… of myself and others. In recent months I have fallen in love with a woman 56 years old who is one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. She is attractive on the outside to me but trial and tribulation has honed her inside to be so beautiful I am in awe of her. She glows from the inside out…
Very uplifting as always – Thanks
Today, I was reminded of a heart shredding moment when someone I started to love didn’t see my beauty and was affected by others. Hurts a lot when someone I truely care for has that point of view… So I cried to God again. Then He leads me here =] I should hold on to Him instead. He thinks I am beautiful period. And He cares for me and wants me to smile beautifully again. =] Thank you. Your beautiful and encouraging words reflect our Father =]
Thank you for your comment… I believe God cares about us all too!