There is the obvious beauty - what is visible on the surface... your appearance. There is the beauty that is unseen, that comes from within and radiates outwards. Your appearance is important. I have a physical body that I am responsible for, just like a pet, while I exist here on Earth. Like a valued pet, I want to treat my body nicely, kindly and pamper it. Do you want your car to last for a long time and give you good service? Put in gas, oil, do regular maintenance and prevention and every once in awhile, splurge on an expensive wax job. Give that car the royal treatment. It gets you where you want to go. Do the same for your body. Practice good hygiene. Use good products to take care of your type of skin and hair. Practice daily "MRP" (maintenance, repair and prevention). Treat yourself to a luxurious body soak, paint your toe nails bright red, dress up in gorgeous colors, treat yourself to a mud pack! Get the general idea? Your body will soak up this attention. Love it up! At the core of each of us... often forgotten and covered over with many dark layers, is a different kind of beauty. Some of us have strayed so far off the path, that the beauty is not even recognizable or apparent. Trust me, it is there! It may be buried deep, but it is there. I feel real satisfaction in my life, when I am striving towards living a virtuous life. Because I want to, not because I have to. Being kind without any hidden agenda, because it feels good to help someone. Period. I am by no means a saint. Like everybody else, everyday I am presented with many opportunities to practice virtues or practice sins. Sometimes, I make mistakes. Now when I become aware of the error, I have a choice. I can do nothing and add another nasty layer to cover my heart, or I can do something that will peel away a layer. Being on a spiritual path, committed to being beautiful on the inside and out, is not always easy. It is rewarding though. Every step forward, peeling off more and more layers of junk... is a step towards lightness, freedom and joy! |
