I love this quote. I found it during a time I was feeling particularly down on what I was looking like. I have gained a few pounds over the summer, my clothes weren’t fitting quite right, and I was just not feeling pretty. We all have those moments. Some more than others. And there is SO much pressure to look a certain way. Social media and filters on our phones make it worse. And lots of articles have been written on this pressure.  What is beauty? And who gets to define it?

But I also noticed as I was feeling down on my looks and after reading this quote that I when I check a woman or man out on the street I’m looking at them for all sorts of reasons…sometimes it is purely about their fashion or body shape, but it also about their body language, their mannerisms, sometimes I am trying to figure out what kind of person on they are, or simply I’m staring right through them in a middle of a day dream. But they don’t know that. They may not notice me or they may be really self-conscious by a random stranger checking them out. And I thought, we are all so worried about what strangers (and friends) think of our appearance. Why? I am a firm believer you should take pride in how you look. But we take it way farther than good hygiene. I have spent thousands of dollars on clothes over the years. Why? Some of it is definitely for me and the idea of playing and enjoying fashion. But it is also to wear for others to react too. Why?

We are human. And we care about what people think about us. We want to look good for others. We are attracted to beauty. But did you notice, how on a given morning we spend our energy on what to wear, but not on how we are going to show up for the day. I spend an hour getting ready physically. Yet if I spend equal time getting ready mentally and spiritually, would it make a difference? Would I actually feel more beautiful? Working on my soul should be equally important. An area I am going to try to work on for a while. To consciously wake up in the morning and get ready for how beautiful my soul should be to others too! And remember, in others eyes, I want them to see my soul as well as my cute clothes. Something I forget to prepare and work on.

In your eyes, can you see the beauty of other’s souls? Are you checking out their appearance? Or are you in a trance thinking about your own life when you walk or drive? Are you on your phone? Are you present to the day? What is your definition of beauty? and why? How can we pull more beauty out of the humans around us and really see it? Not the physical beauty, but the important beauty. The soul. How do you share your soul? And do you work on its beauty?

In our eyes….we could be seeing so much more!