Beauty Buzz/Blog Buz | What Is Beauty?
An Exploration Of Beauty
“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”
~Coco Chanel
We have all heard the saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I tried to Google the origin of this saying and found that some form of it dates really far back. We all want to be beautiful.
What I have learned is that beauty is way more than the outward appearance… in fact, what you see is just a tiny part of what makes someone beautiful. Certainly, we should all try to look our best. More important is our character though, as this is what truly defines us as beautiful.
I cannot physically see people anymore, including myself. What makes people beautiful to me is a positive and hopeful attitude, a kind and compassionate demeanor, a heart that demonstrates care, encouragement, and generosity, and a courageous spirit.
A positive and hopeful attitude lightens your heart, but also somehow shines through to your face. We all know those who live in hope. They have a positive and expectant attitude. When life knocks them down, they get back up. This is not about ignoring the reality, it is about expecting and hoping for and working towards better things and days.
“Hope is a passion for the possible.”
~Soren Kierkegaard
“Hope is being able to see there is light despite all the darkness.”
~Desmond Tutu
The Essence Of Beauty
A kind and compassionate demeanor is beauty at its essence. Leo Buscaglia said “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Compassion is developed by living through difficult times, which helps us understand that although someone may have a smile on their face they may be hurting deeply.
Kindness is doing what you can to brighten someone’s day. It’s showing a heart that demonstrates care, encouragement, and generosity
A courageous spirit is also a beautiful thing. While kindness and compassion are about how we treat others, courage is all about self-care. Mary Anne Radmacher said it best when she said, “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the silent voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” We all need to give ourselves permission to not be perfect, to not always get it right, to struggle, to be human. Once we do that, we can find the courageous spirit within ourselves… and learn to accept the authentic individual we are. Once we develop the courage to be authentically beautiful, we can live in confidence… which exudes beauty.
“The most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched, but are felt with the heart.”
~Helen Keller
By Sylvia Stinson-Perez
Connecting With Sylvia On Social Media:
- Facebook: @Sylvia Stinson-Perez
- Twitter: @SylviaSPerez101
- National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University (NRTC): www.blind.msstate.edu/about
Author Bio:
Sylvia Stinson-Perez is a leader in the blindness field helping individuals and organizations succeed through innovative strategic planning and implementation. She has Master’s degrees in Social Work, Visual Disabilities Rehabilitation, and Business Administration. Sylvia is blind as a result of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), however, she believes that everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their potential, a conviction she promotes through:
- her position at the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision
- projects she leads such as Speak With Confidence public speaking training, and mentoring
- service on advisory committees and boards of directors.
Image Descriptions:
- The header and second photos contain two red amaryllis on a white background. These flowers symbolize pride, determination and radiant beauty.
- Cropped photo of a man and a woman compassionately holding hands at a table.
- The author’s bio photo is a glam photo of Sylvia in a pink dress with spaghetti straps. Her hair is in a fancy updo with a pink flower on the left of her bun.