What is the true definition of beauty? Can it really be defined? Webster defines beauty as the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit; a particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality; : a brilliant, extreme, or egregious example or instance. The thesaurus suggests: loveliness, attractiveness, good looks, prettiness, exquisiteness, gorgeousness, splendor, or magnificence.


Is beauty only skin deep? Not necessarily, I believe beauty goes far beyond looks and physical appearance. Beauty can describe someone’s inner being, their personality, their passion or their love for others. Beauty is happiness that shines from your heart displaying for the world to see. Beauty appears in the laughter of a child, a grin from a person passing by, or tears of joy. Beauty comes from within. It comes from a heart filled with love and joy, so much that it overflows.

Modern standards of beauty are often measured by your outer appearance. Money is spent to buy the clothes in high hopes it will make them beautiful, that it will cover the flaws or show off flawless features. Others may purchase magazines, or books to look at celebrities’ beauty. Some go to much extreme desiring beauty, even put themselves in harmful situations. People spend thousands of dollars each year to go under the knife to cut, nip and tuck; exchanging their bodies for the world’s perception of beauty. Some put on tightly fitted pantyhose to firm their stomachs and thighs. We pluck, and wax, and shave away unwanted hair from our eye brows, arm pits, legs, etc. Several inject chemicals to defy gravity and freeze the skin to hide the wrinkles and fine lines. Some will even withhold from eating, or make themselves vomit, eager to be a certain weight or size.

Our generation of women love to paint themselves beautiful. We paint our nails and toe nails, getting pedicures and manicures each week. We paint our hair, highlighting or dyeing, trying to find the perfect color, never to show our roots. We paint our body, in tanning beds, and spray on tans, to get that bronze, back from the beach look. We paint our face each morning with tons of make-up, hiding the blemishes and imperfections.

It is often said that “beauty lies in the eye of its beholder.” Meaning, what you consider beautiful may be the opposite to someone else. You may see beauty that comes from within, and others may not have gotten the chance to see that. It might be that a reflection determines if they find themselves beautiful or not.

Often when people drink, and get a little too drunk beauty lies in the eyes of the BEERholder. Alcohol can make someone look more beautiful physically than what they really are, which often leads to problems later on.

If you fill your life with joy, happiness, love, kindness, calmness, laughter, honesty, compassion, self-control, humor, patients, and friendliness you will be the true definition of beauty. Physical beauty will fade, but your inner being will remain and you can choose whether it’s beautiful. Beauty will always shine though those layers of skin and transfer to a smile, and you will truly be beautiful.