The Inspiration:

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder—but what if you became the beholder? What if you saw yourself through the eyes of acceptance, beheld your truest self and allowed that fullness to radiate outward?

Beauty can be defined in many ways, but our society, historically, has focused on outward beauty.  Are your legs long?  Are you tall and thin?  Do you have striking face or curves?  In other words, do you look like the proverbial fashion model?  And while those attributes can be positive, they aren’t the only definition of beauty … at least, they shouldn’t be.

When you become ‘the beholder’ and you see yourself as complete, you begin see your own true beauty.  Instead of seeing crow’s feet, see all of the times you laughed with loved ones.  Instead of seeing a widening waistline, see all of the wonderful meals enjoyed with friends.  Instead of gray hair, see the memories and experiences that enriched your life.

Beauty is deeper than skin; true beauty resides in your core and in your heart.  It’s the way you care for your friends and family.  It’s in the way that you take pride in doing your job well.  It’s in the way your practice self-care.  It’s in all of the small and large things that you do to make your life and the lives of others better.  When you take the time to reflect on your goodness and the fullness you bring to life, your beauty begins to radiate outwardly, and it enhances and illuminates your entire being. 

The T-Shirt Design:

Inspired by the truth that beauty goes deeper than skin, the I AM BEAUTIFUL affirmation t-shirt features Elle looking at her reflection in a mirror. She sees her heart made visible, the true source of her beauty. 

The Suggestions:

In order to become your own ‘beholder’ to see your true beauty, try the following:

1. Look in the mirror and find 5 things you like about your physical body without any judgements. Make a list and post it where you can see it regularly.
2. For 3 days, keep a list of all of the things you do to benefit others without any expectation of recognition or acknowledgement. Make a point of reading it aloud and adding to the list once a week for a month while looking in the mirror. 

Beauty is deeper than skin.