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A while back, I came across a video by Shea Glover. She went around her neighborhood telling people she thought they were beautiful. It was inspiring to watch and witness the raw authentic expressions given by her classmates and peers as she stopped them dead in their tracks to tell them that they were beautiful. This one word left the people she interviewed feeling surprised, special and flushed with emotion, and it made me question a few things:
1. Do most people consider themselves beautiful?
2. How often do we tell the people we love that they're beautiful?
And lastly,
3. Should we tell each other that we're beautiful more often?
My friend Cindy and I grabbed a camera and walked around the streets of Toronto to find out. We interviewed dozens of diverse women, different ages, different races. What we discovered was pretty eye-opening. And I am going to share it with you below.
The very first question we asked women was "do you think you're beautiful?"
Some women said yes, while others said no, some women didn't know what to say. We discovered that all women, even the woman who considered themselves beautiful, all admitted to having an inner critic almost daily.
We also noticed that when we asked “Do you think you’re beautiful” every woman immediately related beauty to aesthetics, mentioning something about their looks and physical appearance, and to be honest, I was definitely was not surprised. We live in a world that preconceives our perception of beauty, but I wanted to remind these woman that their beauty goes deeper than that, so I asked them one more question….
"What makes a person beautiful?”
The answers we received immediately shifted from physical features to more internal features, like positive personality traits, how you treat others, good values, and being a good person.
This made me realize that what we ‘perceive’ as beautiful and the genuine qualities that actually 'make' us beautiful are two completely different things.
Why do our physical judgments around beauty get in the way of noticing the true inner essence of what it means to be beautiful? Why do we immediately relate beauty to how we look and forget to remind ourselves that beauty is a way of being. It's about being joyful, compassionate, and appreciative of the beauty found in the present moment.
A voice in my head said that I was on to something, I wanted to help end beauty deception and mend our perception of beauty on the planet. So I created Links & Charms and The Beauty Journal to remind women that their inner light is what makes them beautiful.
It was amazing to watch these women be really honest and sincere with us on camera. Whether young or old, makeup or no makeup. Many of them were hesitant to be on camera but when we mentioned it was to empower women most of them got over their fear and got on camera anyway and were courageous & honest. It was their sincerity and truth I saw in each of their answers that made them beautiful.
That made me realize something extraordinary.
Beauty is having the courage and bravery to authenticity be who you are.
It's as simple as that... Beauty is a way of being.
Even though every woman has beauty within them, many of us don't always see it, and many of us don't get told we're beautiful very often.
As a result,
We forget to remember our worth,
We forget to recognize our beauty,
We forget how much we matter to those who love us and how much beauty we bring to their lives.
After seeing the courage, honesty, and authenticity that each of these women possessed. I ended each interview with a simple & true statement.
“I think you’re beautiful.”
It was beautiful to watch every person's face light up. We quickly realized one simple thing - being called beautiful is a great way to make someone smile, make someone happy, and is quite frankly, one of the simplest things you can do to brighten someone's day.
And at some point, we all need a bit of a reminder that we are loved, cherished & beautiful.
That was the spark that inspired Links & Charms. It’s a really simple concept, but I think it’s the simple things in life that make a world of difference and make the world a better place.
We have the power to be beautiful every single day. Whether it be through uplifting others, acts of kindness, or authentically expressing our thoughts and feelings like these women did on camera. Being beautiful even starts with a simple smile.
Now, I invite you to surprise someone you love & remind them that they’re beautiful too. We have a meaningful line of gifts that make expressing your love for someone easy, and the very best part is that they will always have a keepsake to remind them of you.
Because it really is the simple things in life that can lift someone's spirit, brighten someone's day, and create more love & connection in the word, and what better gift to give someone than a gift that symbolizes the love, light & beauty they bring to your life?
Because whether it be a mother, daughter, sister, or a very special friend. There's a woman in your life that deserves a reminder of how beautiful she is.
If your interested in receiving weekly inspiration that will help you develop more self-love & deeper connections, or if you'd like to join our free Love & Connection Challenge and receive The Beauty Journal Starter-Kit, submit your email in the purple subscription box at the bottom of this page!
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