True Beauty

One of the common topics in today's society is beauty. We are constantly looking for ways to make ourselves more attractive. Nice clothes, cute hairstyles, good make up, and all sorts of other things. But the things is, that's not beauty. That's simply physical attractiveness. Beauty is something much more than that. So what is beauty?

Beauty is Joy.
When I see people who are smiling, who are laughing,  who are enjoying life and appreciating it's wonder, I immediately think they are beautiful. A joyful heart is a beautiful heart. A joyful face is a beautiful face. And I am not talking about happiness, which more often than not relies completely on circumstances. I am talking about true joy, which finds something to be happy about, something to be grateful for in every and any situation. True joy springs from gratefulness for what we have. And joy is one of the most beautiful things to see.

Beauty is Love of Self.
I'm not talking about arrogance here, or loving yourself, as the joke goes, "like Kanye loves Kanye". I'm talking about accepting youself for who you are and loving the person God made you to be. Those who love themselves have a confident beauty. They know that they are worth something, and that they are beautiful no matter what anyone else may say. They have confidence in themselves and believe that they can make a difference. That kind of confidence is beautiful.

Beauty is Love of others.
Nothing is more beautiful than love. Love, a caring for others, is truly the absolute most beautiful thing in the world. People who are kind, who love freely, openly, is the most beautiful thing you will ever see. Love is, truly, what makes the world go round. If it weren't for love, none of us would be here. If it weren't for love, life wouldn't be worth living. If it weren't for love, we would be nothing. Love is the epitome of all things good, of all things true, and of all things beautiful.

Now, just to clarify, beauty is not important. At least, beauty in the sense that our society sees it in is not important. To me the beauty that matters is the beauty of the heart. The beauty of joy and love. The beauty of a heart that cares, that feels, that loves. That is the only type of beauty you should ever strive to reach. And believe me, it is the only beauty that matters.