Is It Ugly to be Pretty?

A while ago, I heard a mom reprimanding her daughter by saying not to be ugly, meaning don't do ugly things.  That made me reflect on the different sides of the fence where people stand on beauty, which technically is supposed to be in the eye of the beholder, right? 

Aging women worry about being attractive enough to land a job; keep a man; like themselves; and be of value in a world where "pretty" has a high price tag.  Then there are those women who take pride in not taking care for themselves, proud of not getting caught up in the hoopla.  Is that better?

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."  The internal light that is in each of us has the ability to shine brighter that we allow it to.  Most of us can see it in other peoples eyes, when it's authentic.  

That is how I see beauty. Am I letting my light shine, or hiding it to make other people feel more comfortable around me?  Being proud of who you are and what you look like is a good thing, when it's about living your truth.  

So the litmus test for all things related to our egos is:  do I feel compelled to do these things because I need other peoples' acceptance to be liked and loved?  In other words, am I doing it for myself or for other peoples' approval?  Do I care about other peoples' approval more than I care about what I think of myself?  We all need our groups, our tribes, our cliques.  Does my tribe still like me when I look my worst?  

We always have the ability to strengthen our internal lights.  But we have to feed the flames with the belief that beauty is innate; we have the right to love and accept ourselves just because we were born. It's not ugly to be pretty, nor is it prettier to be ugly.  Either way, if you are making choices only to feel superior to others, it is a losing battle; because as you age, your self-esteem will be lost when you are not the prettiest girl in the room anymore.

We are at our most beautiful when we are true to ourselves.  Louise Hay is a major advocate of mirror work, saying "I love and accept myself exactly as I am".  She suggests saying it three to four hundred times a day in front of a mirror.  That is the biggest gift you can give to yourself.  It sounds simple but so many people I have talked to don't really love themselves fully and completely.  If you are uncomfortable doing it, that's an indication that you should do it.

Through thick and thin, you are the constant in your own life.  Let's enjoy taking care of our outer beauty while we are working on increasing the core of our inner beauty, self-worth, self-esteem.  That inner strength will enable us to live our best lives and feel beautiful at any age and in any set of circumstances.

Have a wonderful day.

Xo

Conni

Today's Mantra:  I love myself, fully and completely, as I am at this moment in time.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.