By Alia Haley
Most people spend a lot of time and energy, and often money on trying to appear beautiful to the people around them. Much of this has to do with external appearances, body shape, clothes, accessories and styling. In this race to look good, what is commonly forgotten is that real beauty emanates from within, from the person you are underneath the make-up, and the clothes. The first step to discovering, nurturing and improving your inner beauty lies in getting in touch with the real you.
While questions like “who am I?” and “what is the purpose of my being?” may seem philosophical, they are the true indicators of your being. Here are a few pointers that you can use to see yourself for what you truly are.
Use these pointers to come to a realistic assessment of who you truly are at this point in time. Human life is a journey of evolution, and you are changing as a person even at this very moment as you are reading this. Make a strong determination to use this insight as a springboard for your personal growth. Live each moment by being fully in the present, and use your determination to ensure that you are acting out of your highest values, making decisions and taking action to actualize your fullest potential. Your true self is an embodiment of all that is pure and beautiful.
- What are your values?
In layman terms, values are those principles that are really important to you, the ones by which you live, the ones that you feel pained to compromise on, and the ones you feel proud to be upholding. Ask yourself what are the values in which you live your life, make decisions, and use to relate with your environment. Don’t be discouraged if your list contains vanity values in them. As long as these vanity values are not headlining your list, they are not something to worry about. This is just an exercise to understand what you are made of, not an extolling of virtue. It helps you see where you stand at present, as compared to where you want to reach, and to assess the journey that lies ahead of you. - Are your values your own?
In this modern age, one of the most confusing areas that people are confronted with when trying to decide what they live by, is the area of subconsciously acquired values. With the rapidly decreasing presence of healthy role models, the modern generations derive their values largely from media and advertising. You are repeatedly bombarded by advertising and marketing tools that try to tell you what your values should be. A closer look at these commercial endeavors will show that the values being thrust upon you are those of envy, greed, and discontent. You are constantly being reminded to feel poorly about many aspects of yourself that you should really be grateful for; your complexion, your body and your shape. Values such as honesty, compassion, integrity and contentment are pushed out by the vanity value of consumerism. Ask yourself whether you are living your life based on advertising campaigns, or whether you are shaping and refining your own moral structure. - What do you want to be remembered for?
We live in an age of instant gratification, where we want results immediately, where short term pleasures outweigh long term pain. In such a setting, it is natural to live life seeking momentary happiness, forgetting that our lives stretch from birth to death, encompassing all social and human activities that lie in between. We have our roles to play as children, as spouses, as parents, grandparents, community members and citizens of the world. Ask yourself what you would like to be remembered for once you are done with this life. - What are your assets and your liabilities?
Take an honest look at your inner life and list out your strengths, your weaknesses, your beauty and your blemishes. Do this only for your sake. Be clear about your negative points. All human beings, from the most amoral criminal to the most exalted of spiritual leaders have within them all the potential life states; it is merely their conscious decision to remain in their chosen life states that make them who they are. However, being aware of your weaknesses makes it easier to be on guard against the pitfalls of your own making.
About the author: Alia Haley is an avid blogger who is herself very family oriented. She frequently comes out with unique and interesting topics like parents children relationship, teenage fads and tips for dealing effectively with young age.
