Health And Beauty | Tips And Info: March 2011

The Mystique of Beauty - The Intuitive Capability of Man to Know Truth and Good

Beauty is one of the most difficult term to define yet one of the easiest terms to understand. We all know what is beautiful and what is not. It does not take a second for a person to say if a girl, a child, a man , a place, a song or a poem is beautiful or not. Yet we hardly know why it is beautiful. All we know is that we like beautiful things and feel good when we see or hear something beautiful.

Random House dictionary, defines "beauty" as a characteristic present in a person, place, object or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning or satisfaction to the mind or to the eyes, arising from sensory manifestations such as a shape, color, personality, sound, design or rhythm.

Yet no one knows, what are these characteristics that make a thing beautiful? Since beauty is based on the perception of the person, it is often said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Beauty is also considered to be only skin deep which means that beauty is superficial and it lacks any substance.

The opposite of beauty is ugly i.e. what gives us a bad feeling. When we see an ugly thing, we just don't like it and want to close our sensual perception and mind from that thing. Everyone wants to see beauty and become beautiful and dread to become ugly. While we see a beautiful thing or meet a beautiful person, we just want to keep on looking. Einstein used the concept of beauty to explain the Theory of Relativity i.e. how time can expand or contract

"You spend 30 minutes with a beautiful girl, it seems like a moment. You spend a moment sitting on a hot stove, it seems like 30 minutes".

Beauty is so important to human beings that they can do anything to look beautiful or achieve beautiful things in life. The pursuit of human life seems to become beautiful or acquire beautiful things in life. Beauty has such a powerful attraction that it bewilders all logic and rationality of the person and sometime the attraction become fatal. Why is beauty such a powerful force?

Beauty means Truth and Good

In the ancient philosophies, the material body is believed to be the material reflection of the soul, the spark of the universal soul or God. Hence, if the person is good, it is because the person has a beautiful soul. It is because of the beauty of the soul that people do good actions in this world. People find their parents and friends beautiful, because they are good to them. We can hardly find any beauty in our enemies as they are not good to us. When a friend turns enemy, the same person cease to be beautiful.

In Indian philosophy God is said to have three manifestations in this world i.e. Truth, Good and Beautiful (Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram). Hence when we find something beautiful, it is only because it has the truth and goodness in it.

Scientists discover secrets (truths) of nature, because they find universe beautiful (Difficult to imagine?). Einstein said "I have deep faith that the principle of the universe will be beautiful and simple."

Jules Henri Poincare, a famous French mathematician and scientist said

"The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful. If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living."

The discovery of truth is, therefore, to with the beauty it holds. For a scientist, the universe is not a dead object but he sees beautiful pattern and aesthetics in the nature, which helps him find the secrets of nature. While most of the people find the world as an ugly place due to its imperfectness like inequality, injustice, disorder, a poet sees the same world as beautiful and creates poetry. A poet can only make beautiful poetry, if he finds beauty in nature and human beings. A logical person or a critique of the world can never find these truth of the world as he can never see beauty in this world.

The Evidence of Beauty

Since beauty needs no logic, people often accuse beauty of being superficial. The rational people or scientists accept no facts to be true unless proven objectively by experiments and investigations. They often blame the perceptions of beauty as biased and prejudiced which has developed in the people in the process of evolution.

We all know that a human body looks beautiful, if it is within a particular range of body weight depending upon the height of the person. We don't find the body beautiful, if it is either too thin or too fat. Yet we can't say why only a particular weight should make the body beautiful? However, the scientists have discovered that what we perceive as beautiful is actually the best body weight for health and longevity. A study conducted by more than a million participants by the US Cancer Prevention [1] concluded that

.. optimum body mass indexes to be between 23.5 and 24.9 for men and 22.0 and 23.4 for women. As body mass index increased, risk of death increased. Men and women, with body mass indexes of 40.0 or higher, increased the risk of death by 250% and 200% respectively. In contrast, underweight men and women, with body mass indexes of 18.5 or lower, increased the risk by 26% and 36% respectively.

Thus, the perception of beauty is not superficial as it is supported by robust scientific research. If, we can imagine how we, can perceive beauty of the body, we can easily notice that our perception of beauty perhaps vary in the same proportion as the effect of body weight on health as if our mind already knows what is good for the body even without going through the long process of research.

Once a scientist described to Einstein, how long years of experimentation and research lead to the discovery of the scientific theory. The wife of Einstein promptly remarked that her husband (Einstein) would have developed the same theory on a piece of paper. Einstein never conducted any experiments, but developed the soundest of the scientific theories from the imagination of his mind as man himself a replica of the universe.

We all have the inherent capability to distinguish the good from the evil and the truth from the untruth by our ability to see beauty. When we eat an apple, we don't have to send it to laboratory to know if it is rotten or fresh. We can simply by looking at it can know that it is fresh. A beautiful apple is also a good apple for health.

What is Good?

The first thing to understand is what is good? We can define goodness from the perspective of self and the world. One can be good to the world, if his actions are for the good of the world. Similarly, one can also be good if his actions are good for him. An ugly man, therefore, must be one who is not only bad for the world but also bad for himself.

However, we can argue, why one would like to do anything that is harmful to self. Yet there is no dearth of such actions. For example, if one eats too much and become obese, it is surely not good for his own health. Similarly smoking, additions etc are also not good for one's own self. All selfish actions are initially good for the person but gradually become bad for him, if these actions are not good for the society. The challenge thus lies in finding a way that is not only good for self but also good for the society. All successful persons and businessman finds a way to find their good in the goods of others. For example, Bill Gates is the richest person in the world, not by doing any harm to the society but by bringing tremendous benefit to the society. As a consequence, he also became a rich man.

However, when a person focuses only on selfish benefit without any concern for the world, he creates an imbalance in the world that makes the person bad. This leads to the path of untruth and evil. Such a person gradually becomes unattractive and ugly as the evil starts getting reflected on his body and the face.

What is good also depends on the person and the situations. A sunny day many look beautiful in the cold winters and cold countries but extremely unattractive for the people of the tropical and warm countries. The woman may look extremely beautiful to a lover but only ordinary to other men and women. Hills may be beautiful for the people living in the plain or in hotter places but may look unattractive to the native who may find the modern world of malls and urban life more attractive. A western music may be attractive to some but repulsive to others.

Thus our perception to beauty has also a purpose. The attraction depends not only the object of beauty but also our mental makeup. We find beauty in things that complements ourselves. It force of attraction due to beauty can be compared with the force of attraction of the electric changes. The opposite attracts and once they meet they neutralize each other. So often we are attracted towards something which we lack. Often, we are not even aware what is missing unless we find something attractive. The beauty is thus a guide to achieve the missing something in us so that we can have more fulfilling and contented life.

Yoga: The Secret of Beauty

The secret of the natural beauty lies in the mantra truth, good and beauty (Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram). To look beautiful outside, one has to be good inside. The good feeling can come only by being good and truthful. If one becomes bad for others, he has to pay the price with his beauty.

Yoga, one of the ancient methods for good heath, means union. It defies all scientific theories as people use yoga to reduce weight and become healthy not by burning calories in gym or by medication but simply by effortless postures of the body designed many thousands of years ago that requires discipline of the body and mind. Yoga means union i.e. the union of body and mind with the soul on personal level and the union of individual soul to the universal soul or the soul of the world on he other level. Yoga, is used all over the world, to make oneself beautiful as it beings the goodness and truth in the person. However, once the person become beautiful, he automatically gets he proper body weight and also fitness and good health.

The Challenges of being Beautiful

Some people are born beautiful but other acquires beauty by conscious effort. Often the most become people become unattractive due to their lifestyle and evil actions. Who would find beauty in a obese man or woman or in a criminal. However, often very ordinary looking person become very attractive because of their achievements. It is particularly true about man who seems to become more attractive with their achievements and good deeds.

As believed in the Indian philosophies, beauty is the manifestation of God in this world. Hence, if a person start doing evil acts, he start drifting from God to Devil. Soon the person would start looking ugly too. His face and body would transform in a way that he would lose all beauty. He would lose health and fitness. He would fall sick frequently. He would become overweight or underweight so as to lose his vitality and health. His face would become cruel or pale devoid of serenity and beauty.

It is not a mere coincidence that no dictator or evil person has ever been beautiful. Conversely, a beautiful person can not be cruel or evil. One proof of this statement is that women, who epitomize beauty, can hardly kill innocent people or commit murder. Woman represents beauty hence they also mean what is good for the society. They risk their own life to create a new life.

We also find that all children are beautiful. It is not a mere a coincidence that all children are also good. They love every creation of the world including innate objects like dolls, toys and animals. Most of the cartoon films and the children's film show kindness to animals. Yet as a man grows, he losses his beauty, if he starts losing goodness.

Secret of Beauty

Beauty is one of the biggest desire of human beings hence a great biggest business opportunity for the businessmen. The cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar business today all over the world. Yet can any cosmetics make you beautiful. The beauty due to cosmetics is truly superficial and often causes long term harm to the person. The true secret of beauty lies in discovering truth and goodness in the world and within oneself. Once a person has acquired inner beauty, his body and face start emitting the beauty of the soul to the world. One must also use his or her perception of beauty as a guide to achieve a more fulfilling life in this world. Beauty is, therefore, the most beautiful thing in the world as it comes to every person naturally without any training or study, yet it represents the truth and goodness of this world.

References:

[1] Body Weight and Mortality: What is the optimum weight for a longer life? URL; jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/hliving/BMIwords.html

What is Taught in Beauty Schools?

The question as to just what, exactly, is taught in beauty school is quite a commonly asked one. The typical questioner will tend to be someone like a father, or an uncle, who is told by his daughter (or niece) that - after carefully weighing her options - she has decided that she will be going to a beauty school! Now the man understands what is taught in, say, a business school. He also understands what is taught in a medical school. What is taught in dentistry or a law schools are also things he can imagine. But beauty school? What is taught in beauty school? What is a beauty-school, in the first place?

Now in order to bring ourselves to a point where we can appreciate what is taught in a beauty school, it would be a good idea to appreciate the fact that beauty is an art, and a fine art at that. To the casual observer, the various things that are done in the pursuit of beauty seem to be very simple things: hair plaiting (or other hair treatment), nail painting, facial treatment, manicure, pedicure...these seem to be very simple things. But to the person involved in them, there is simply no telling the difficulty that is in involved in them. True, they may not be physically taxing things, but it is the finesse with which they have to be handled, and the rather delicate nature of the people on whom they are done, which makes them difficult. Such understanding gives us a vantage point from where we can get to appreciate what is taught in beauty schools.

One of the most fundamental things that are taught in beauty-schools is simply the appreciation of beauty. At this stage, the students are not even being told how to make their clients beautiful, but simply how to appreciate beauty. Unless you can appreciate beauty, there is no way you can give it to someone else.

Another fundamental thing that students in beauty-schools learn is how to make them beauty - having gained an appreciation of the beauty concept. People won't trust you with the task of making them beautiful when you happen to be quite a mess yourself. A beautician has to be beautiful in one or another, and the more it can be clear that her beauty is as a result of deliberate effort, the more confident would her clients be in entrusting her with their looks.

Yet another set of things that students in beauty-schools will learn are the various procedures through which beauty can be 'artificially created' or enhanced. We are talking about the whole range of technical skills here: from facial treatment skills, to hair treatment and styling skills, and onto procedures such as manicures and pedicures...which are the specific things that the beautician's clients will be looking for, in terms of services.

Refined people skills, sales and marketing as well as the fundamentals of psychology would be other things that students in beauty schools will be taught. The latter would be useful when you take into consideration the fact that most of the clients who seek a beauticians services not only want to be beautified, but also reassured about their beauty and general worth as human beings.

What Does the Bible Say About Beauty?

The Bible has much to say about what makes things beautiful in God's sight. It covers all areas of beauty as defined in Webster's dictionary thus: "1. That quality or aggregate of qualities in a thing which gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit; physical, moral, or spiritual loveliness. 2. A beautiful person or thing, esp. a beautiful woman. 3. A particular grace, ornament, or excellence; anything beautiful; as the beauties of nature." We would do good for ourselves and others to see the things that are beautiful in God's sight.

It is interesting to note that the word "beauty" is not found in the New Testament and that "beautiful" is found only 4 times in it. "Beautiful" is found 19 times and "beauty" is found 49 times in the Old Testament. "Beauties" is found once and "beautify" is found 3 times in the Old Testament.

The Bible does refer to several women as being beautiful. It warns men not to allow the beauty of a woman to lead them into adulterous activities. The real beauty of a woman is not external, but rather it is an inner beauty that shines out of her beautiful spirit of love and kindness. This kind of a woman would never do anything to seduce a man to commit adultery or fornication with her. She is encouraged to live a life of devotion to God and His ways. Such a woman will not dress in such a way as to be referred to as being "sexy." She will not accent parts of her body to call attention to herself. See 1 Peter 3 for instruction on how this is to be done in a family setting.

The Bible tells us about the "beauty of holiness." See 1 Chronicles 16:8-36. This is the way we are to "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." See 2 Chronicles 20:1-29 to see how the Israelites won over their enemies when they praised "the beauty of holiness." Psalm 29:2 tells us to "Give to the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 96 gives us the reason we should "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:" and "fear before Him, all the earth." The most beautiful thing that can happen to a person is to "worship God in spirit and in truth." 2 Corinthians 7:1 tells us what to do to perfect "holiness."

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told that God "has made everything beautiful in its time." Timing has much to do with a beautiful life of holy living. Most of you have probably never heard of this before. In this chapter we find 14 contrasting activities that are "beautiful in its time." If the timing is wrong, the action is very destructive to everyone involved. The beauty is changed into ashes.

Only God can make an ugly thing beautiful. He can take a person that is lost and undone and make that person into a vessel of honor. How He does this is beyond our natural ability. Just because a person is ugly-spirited now, does not mean there is no hope of ever being changed into something beautiful. The Bible and history attest to this. The testimonies of God's redeeming love and grace are all around us.

In the Song of Solomon 7:1a we read, "How beautiful are your feet with shoes, O prince's daughter!" On the other hand, Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15b tell us "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" God is more interested in our feet being "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" rather than our beautiful shoes. Man looks on the outward appearance and God looks at the heart. See Ephesians 6:10-19 to see how the whole armor of the Lord makes for a beautiful sight in God's eyes.

In summary, the things of God's creation, whether physical or spiritual are beautiful. The things that dishonor God are ugly. God is in the business of turning ugly things into beautiful ones. See Isaiah 61 to see what God's intentions are for our lives.

What Does the Bible Say About Beauty?

The Truth About Beauty

Why this fascination with beauty?

The demand for beauty services in spite of the economy?

Even when there is a recession, beauty parlours still flourish. Beauty products still fly off the shelves.

There is this saying that beauty is skin deep.

Then again, first impressions count.

Put it this way. Beauty is power. That was true centuries ago. That is true today.

When a beautiful woman walks into a bar, men flock to her and offer to buy her drinks. When an unattractive woman walks into the same bar, chances are, she would have to buy her own drinks.

A beautiful salesperson, man or woman is more likely to win the sale. Between a beautiful job seeker and an unattractive one, all other things being equal, the employer is likely to choose the good looker.

Like it or not, looks do count.

In the past, when women were dependent on men to support them, beauty was everything to a woman. A beautiful woman would have more suitors. She would be able to marry up. To marry a rich man who could take care of all her financial needs and that of her children. Long before commercial cosmetics existed, mothers would instruct their daughters on traditional beauty remedies. Simple beauty remedies like using mayonnaise as a moisturizer, or egg white as a firming mask were often used by women in the days before commercial cosmetics.

Then along came women entrepreneurs like Estee Lauder [http://www.womanht.com/esteelauder/] and other women from around the world. They converted traditional beauty recipes which worked for themselves into beauty creams that they sold to other women. Every woman has a right to look her most beautiful and these women were selling others their beauty secrets.

Make up was used to paint women's faces. In Egypt, the nobles, royalty and the well off would paint their eyes with khol, with crushed beetles and exotic ingredients. In Europe, women would paint their faces with make up containing toxic mercury for the sake of beauty. In Japan, the geishas would whiten their faces with creams that contain nightingale droppings.

You would think by now, we modern women would have learnt our lesson. Now, we just inject poison into our faces to paralyze our facial muscles in order to prevent expression lines from deepening as we grow older. Think of those botox injections done every 3 months to erase those wrinkles. Think of the acids we smear on our faces to smoothen them. The dermabrasion procedures done at the dermatologist in order to smoothen our skin.

Women all over the world have always been willing to suffer for the sake of beauty. Long ago, in China, women in wealthy families would bind their feet. The Chinese back then view tiny feet as beautiful, so little girls have their feet bound, to prevent them from growing big and ugly. Now that long legs are considered beautiful, some women go through a very painful medical procedure that breaks their legs, and stretches their legs by a few millimeters a day through a painful device until they attain the height they want. With their newfound height, these girls can look forward to a wealthy, glamorous future as an international model.

In Europe, centuries ago, wasp waists and curvy bodies were considered beautiful, so corsets were worn to make the waist look much smaller. These were tied so tightly that women faint easily. All for the sake of beauty. Now, corsets are in again. These days, women and men subject themselves to surgery to attain the beauty they desire. Liposuction to remove the excess fat to contour the body. Breast augmentation for bigger breasts that are considered beautiful. Nose jobs, face lifts, the works.

Thankfully, there is also a return to natural beauty remedies. This time, commercial cosmetics use natural ingredients that women have used for centuries in the home beauty preparations. These are effective and great for the skin.

What we women really should do is to focus on inner beauty, and to keep ourselves healthy. Health is beauty.

8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, fresh food, fresh air, daily exercise, drinking plenty of water every day, soap and water, or cleanser and toner, moisturizer where necessary and sun protection all day long. All that keeps your body healthy and your skin and hair, beautiful. Oh, and learn to age gracefully. After all, aging is a natural process in life.

What is Taught in Beauty Schools?

Beyond The Beauty Trap

If you ask one hundred women, "Do you want to be beautiful?" most of them will say they do. But, if you ask them, "So what do you think of beautiful women?" Most will have some pretty strong opinions. They will tell you that beautiful women are "thin, confident, perfect, well-dressed, and that they get what they want." They will tell you that it takes a lot of time, energy, and money to look beautiful. They will also say that beautiful women are usually born that way. These statements are all myths -- they are not true, but we tend to believe them.

And lurking just beneath the surface, the myths get even worse. When questioned more closely, many women will also report that beautiful women are "vain, self-centered, egotistical, selfish, and basically, not very nice." I have asked tens of thousands of women of all ages and social groups these questions and share with you that this is what many women experience. They also think that they would have to be perfect. And until they are perfect in every way, then they cannot be beautiful.

If we think this way, we are in a trap! We think we want beauty, but the concept carries a lot of baggage with it. And if it's as bad as some think it is, we should be avoiding it! The unfortunate result is that very few women have been able to be happy or satisfied with their appearance. Yet, we live in a world where others judge us and we judge ourselves on how we look.

Most women don't want to be vain. In fact, the fear of becoming vain -- or being perceived as vain -- keeps many women from seeing and experiencing their beauty. This becomes very understandable when you look up the word "vain" in the dictionary. It is defined as, "having no real value, idle, worthless, useless, foolish, silly." With this definition, I can see why no one would want to be seen in these ways.

Another definition of vain is "having or showing undue or excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments." If a woman thinks that she is worthless or has little real value, then any small amount of personal pride is "excessive and undue," and can make her uncomfortable.

Pride is a very tricky word. It has two completely different meanings and they are quite contradictory. One definition is "inordinate self-esteem; conceit" and the other is, "a reasonable or justifiable self-respect." So, let's think of false pride as, "conceit" and true pride as, "self-respect."

Now, the plot thickens. It's not just becoming vain that we fear. Women are afraid that others will think they are vain and so they either keep putting themselves down, or trying to prove that they are good enough. So, in several different ways, vanity is related to fear.

Vanity comes out of feeling worthless or unworthy to some extent and trying to prove you are not. So, every step toward finding your true worth is a step away from vanity.

Both vanity and false pride seem to come from trying to pretend that you are something that you are not. Let's give this up! Every single woman I've ever met had her own beautiful qualities. Very few women realize their beauty fully and some have not realized their beauty at all. They are all just at different stages of learning their worth and beauty.

Realizing our beauty is not something that we were ever taught to do. And we were never shown how to do it. To top it off, we live in a world and society that teaches us that it's bad to think too highly of ourselves. We are also told that we can never be perfect, but that we should be perfect. So it should be no surprise that women have so many mixed emotions about these issues. Beauty, the way society has defined it so far, is a pretty impossible goal.

The real problem with the common notion of beauty is that we often see it as something comparative and competitive. This is really a very silly idea that we don't apply to the rest of nature. We don't go to the zoo and discuss, "Which is more beautiful a giraffe or a zebra?" When we go for a hike in the mountains we don't analyze or evaluate, "Which is more beautiful an oak tree or a pine tree?" But for some odd reason, we apply this strange thinking to our appearance as women. Let's stop it.

Women have to realize how much of a lose/lose situation this is. No matter how much you perfect your appearance, there will always be someone out there who is thinner, prettier, or younger, etc. All women lose at these limiting, either/or type of comparisons. Let's leave competition for sports.

I used to say that we've needed to redefine beauty. But if you look in the dictionary, you'll see that "beautiful" really means, "generally pleasing; excellent." I'll buy that. "Beauty" is defined as "the combination of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit." That really is sounding better, isn't it?

If we can go along with the idea that all flowers are beautiful and all mountains are beautiful, why can't all women be beautiful? We shouldn't have to stretch our imagination too much to include ourselves with the rest of nature!

It's really a matter of harmony. Just as there is already beauty and harmony in forests and deserts, there is already beauty in people. They just need to realize it. If you went on a walk with someone who did not see beauty in the woods, would you change your opinion? I don't think so.

Harmony is a pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts. It's knowing that, as part of nature, you are put together well. That's exactly what I've seen in studying thousands of women (and men, too.) We are put together very congruently. Nature is very consistent in giving giraffes long necks and zebras get stripes. There are patterns in women also.

The pattern in you is there whether you see it or not. Just because a flower doesn't see it's harmony, doesn't mean it's not there. Fortunately, unlike a flower, you have the ability to discover your harmony. And when you do, you'll be able to have the experience that you're already beautiful. Then your clothes don't make you beautiful, they enhance the beauty you already have. Your make-up doesn't make you beautiful, it brings out the beauty you already have.

Finding your true beauty will never occur until you stop trying to be anyone else. Just be you. But, you have to look for and discover the beauty and the harmony. Ever since I discovered the patterns in people, people have become beautiful to me.

The approach of finding harmony in yourself does not create vanity because it is not about undue or excessive pride. It's about finding your true worth and value. Remember, we said that "true pride" is self-respect. Every woman's goal should be to find her true value. It's an area in which most of us have no training, but it is possible and thousands of women have learned to see the harmony in their natural pattern.

Discovering your harmony leads you to finding your true value and builds your confidence. Confidence is the quality or state of being certain. Confidence stresses faith in oneself and one's powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance. You can learn to find strength in being you.

The Outer Glow From an Inner Beauty

Beauty is a quality possessed by an object or a person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the senses. When we think of the beautiful, we equate it with a positive feeling of pleasure or goodness. Beauty is a subjective experience that could lead to powerful feelings of attraction and emotional well being. As society imposes a strong expectation on women to be beautiful, beauty can present a standard of comparison and may cause resentment and dissatisfaction when not achieved. Beauty may have inspired humans throughout history, but the quest of beauty can sometimes lead to obsession and eating disorders.

As too much emphasis is placed on superficial beauty, the inner person tends to be undermined. Outward beauty can remain to be superficial. Although the media puts emphasis on outward physical beauty, it cannot be denied that inner beauty has withstood the ages. Intelligence, kindness and creativity are some of the qualities of inner beauty. Glitz and glamour may elicit awe-inspiring emotions, but inner beauty can stir a being to the depths of its soul. We tend to create our own criteria for judging the beauty of a woman. Prominent cheekbones, deep set eyes, luscious lips, flawless skin and perfect hair coupled with a shapely figure.

Society has created a standard of beauty that has become a mould that every woman wants to fit in. It can be a frustrating endeavor to try to fit in within the limits of outward physical beauty. Inner beauty, on the other hand has no limits. Inner beauty surpasses and transcends. Inner beauty sees no need to fit into a standard as it has the liberty to follow the dictates of its own virtues. Outward beauty may just be well the icing on the cake, but inner beauty is the complete substance within which is a blend of many fine characteristics such as etiquette and good manners, intelligence and character, charm and sense of humor, creativity and social and family values.

That inner beauty that makes a woman whole within will make her radiant on the outside with a warm and ready smile for everybody and soulful eyes that see good in all things. Just as there is a marked difference between a dear intricately hand-woven Persian carpet and a cheap machine made carpet, so is there a distinct disparity between shallow outward beauty and genuine inner beauty. Outward beauty can go to the extent of perfection but it remains spurious if it is ill-bred and heartless. Inner beauty on the other hand is elegantly hand knotted, each and every silky colorful thread so carefully crafted to create an astounding design of character and personality that fashions the masterpiece of a uniquely beautiful woman.

Inner beauty is a unique art on its own. Outward beauty can only be more appreciated if it stems from an inner beauty that sees a more noble purpose other than superficiality and vanity. For a woman to be truly beautiful, inner beauty must be inherently cultivated while the physical beauty is enhanced. It is well worth it to take care of yourself and your inner beauty. The next time you look into the mirror, ask yourself what true beauty is and if you are indeed beautiful. Once you take time to nourish your inner beauty, no doubt that that inner beauty will eventually come out on the surface.

Only then will you see that you are truly a beautiful woman.

Where Do Beauty Marks Come From? Some Common Facts Related To Beauty Marks

A beauty mark is a dark mole on the face, neck or shoulder which is considered attractive. If we look at them from a medical point of view, we can find the answer to the question - "where do beauty marks come from"? Beauty spots are usually a melanocytic nevus which is underdeveloped.

You should know that not all moles are considered as "beauty marks". A beauty spot should not measure more than a centimeter and should not protrude out, that is, it should not be a polypoid. The second significant point is that the mark should be symmetrical in nature. Symmetry has a natural appeal to human eyes and looks beautiful. A disproportioned mole is usually not referred to as beauty spot.

A beauty spot is usually located on the face, somewhere on the cheek, or around the lips. They should not be too many in number.

Usually the marks appear on the face within 20 years of age. If someone develops them afterwards they may or may not be favourable. If a beauty mark protrudes out then it is referred to as a mole.

A lot of people prefer to create a beauty spot on their skin, if they do not have one. During the 18th century, creating a false beauty spot on your face became a common fashion statement. False beauty marks can be applied as a form of make-up or can be tattooed.

A common, interesting Greek myth is associated with beauty spots. They say Gods were jealous of those who looked too perfect and hence created a small dark mark on their faces, just to disturb their perfection.

Some celebrities known for their beauty marks are Marilyn Monroe, one of the most sensuous women, who created a vogue for beauty marks during the 19th century. Other celebrities who sport a beauty mark on their face include Madonna, Eva Mendes, Mandy Moore, Demi Moore, Mariah Carey, Molly Sims, Natalie Portman, and Robert DeNiro and how can we miss out Cindy Crawford?

However, beauty of a person does not depend on whether they possess a beauty spot or not. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. A lot of women who have beauty marks are found trying to remove them from their faces, while a lot others who do not have one, artificially get them on their faces. It is one's style statement which matters.

How to Find Beauty in Everything

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

Sonnet XVIII, William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

What is really being beautiful?

Watch these women:

1. Agnes

She had a pure and lovely character. She understood men. She had inner happiness. She was a capable housekeeper.

She was too independent. She lacked the girlish childlike trusting qualities. She lacked the tender fascinating little way that stirs a mans heart.

2. Dora

She had an enchanting manner. She was childlike, girlish, trusting. She had tender little ways. She was radiantly happy. She was bright -eyed. She was dependent.

She was a poor homemaker. She lacked character. She did not understand men.

The qualities above were rated by some men on their wives and friends.

Beauty is a real mystery. Many artists can say something about this, and men can make their list about women.

Yet people have their own ways of seeing things. They have their own preferences. Many say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some though, rate beauty, if they join contests like: the beauty pageant, most beautiful body, fashion shows, poetry contests, cleanest places, most sumptuous dish, and more. Yet, ratings can be subjective and some standards are given by judges on that spot.

Charm (and physical beauty) comes and only appreciated in a matter of seconds and minutes according to studies. Soon everyone gets old and leave the youthful qualities. Will you still crave for this kind of beauty?

Everybody needs to be beautiful. Beauty is personal hygiene, too. Therefore, to be clean is to be beautiful. It gives you an air of confidence.

Now, how about being beautiful inside? I mean: your heart. Is it beautiful?

What is the beauty that comes from within? Some attest it never fades. Many say it lasts for years and even after death. The frailties and unsymmetric physical self will wilt, but true inner beauty will grow and give light.

How do you find beauty in everything?

There is beauty in everything and in everyone. No creation of God is ugly. It's like seeing a problem. Look at it on the positive side. Look at what is beautiful and uncommon in others. Each of us is unique and special.

When someone says "Your eyes are beautiful, your dress is beautiful, your office is beautiful," give thanks. We are all part of one body.

At work - try to stare at people at work. "People look so beautiful when they work, share their talents, and serve others."

How do you find beauty in everything?

Remember the lines from a poem that says "God made all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small."

You are beautiful, I thank God for you.

Rose flores martinez Ishallwrite Rosevoc2