Whoever said, "Beauty is only skin deep" obviously wasn't aware that we are beings of many dimensions that are interconnected. Our habits of thinking, emotions, spiritual connection (or lack thereof) and soul -- our fears and joys, woes and loves, comfort level and confidence -- all of it shows up on our face and in the way we hold ourselves in our posture. Someone with non-classic features can be stunningly gorgeous, and in contrast, someone who hit the genetic jackpot with sculpted cheekbones, perfectly angled nose and plump sexy lips can look tawdry and "spent." There is no separation between our inner state and our outer looks.
So why did someone come up with that "only skin deep" statement? To try to prove to us that our outer looks don't matter? Well, that is equally misleading. Does this mean if we are "spiritual" and virtuous that we don't have to look good and be attentive to our physical appearance, because "real beauty" is the "beauty inside"? Absolutely not. Let's move beyond the Either/Or to the Both/And perspective on this. In fact, if you look in Nature, Beauty is abundant and awesomely, overwhelmingly breathtaking. The cosmic clue: We are here to honor, embrace and accentuate the natural beauty we are, inside and out.
Realize that, yes, the outer and the inner "you" are connected and influence one another. When we take care of our skin and hair and body and fashionable adornment of our physical selves on the outside, we look good and thus, we feel better about ourselves. When we feel better about ourselves, more confident and self-assured, we look better. This experience of feeling great about ourselves inside and out translates into everything we say and do, aspire to and accomplish. Relationships, communication, self expression -- all of it.
We are radiant beings. Life Force is activated by our perpetual state of mind. When we take care of our thoughts and realize that we really do create our reality with the way we think and the way we choose to relate to our circumstances -- then yes, that interior state of beauty also reflects magnificently in our appearance. The vital force shines through us.
So it's time to drop the "only skin deep" myth. How you put yourself together in fashion, grooming, makeup, skincare, hairstyle, personal flair -- is equally important as a maintaining a gleaming, glistening spirit. Beauty is our destiny. Multidimensional beauty. And each one of us is here to be radiant beauty! <>
Images:
"Painted Beauty" from http://freehdw.com
"Birth of Venus" painting by Sandro Botticelli, 1486