How To Be Beautiful

How To Be Beautiful“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” ~Kahlil Gibran When I was in high school, I had a friend who was not beautiful or even particularly pretty, but she was very popular. Both girls and guys liked her, she had a steady boyfriend, and she was always hanging out with the most popular crowd. And she was genuinely nice to everyone. The most popular crowd in my high school (and likely in every high school in the country) consisted of the jocks and the cheerleaders and any other beautiful people who orbited the sphere of the A-list group. If you weren’t beautiful (or really cute) and were still in the A-list group, then you either came from a wealthy family, drove an enviable car, or you were mean and spiteful and scared the crap out of anyone who tried to cross you. That’s why my friend was an anomaly. Without being beautiful, wealthy, or mean she managed to be liked by everyone. Not in a manipulative way, but in a real way. She was funny, outgoing, adventurous, and authentic – something virtually no one in adolescence can pull off. I remember feeling envious of her ability to feel so at ease, especially around boys. She was simply herself, without the benefit of model looks to attract others to her. And yet she was so attractive. I’m sure there were times my friend suffered the same self-doubts and low self-esteem we all did in high school. It’s impossible to underestimate the emotional impact our physical appearance has on us from the time we’re aware of how we look. Messages are everywhere reminding us of appropriate standards of attractiveness and beauty. And try as we might to achieve those standards, the truth is 98% of us will never achieve them.