by Jenn Kaye

 

According to the American Heritage Dictionary:

beauty : the quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness and originality.

It doesn't say that beauty is defined as less wrinkles, longer legs, tighter buns, bigger boobs or smaller thighs. Beauty is not defined as an age, culture, look or belief system. It is the quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses ... .and ... associated with such properties as truthfulness and originality. Originality. How often do we claim our own originality? And how often do we act in ways we think we're 'supposed' to according to the roles we play?

Let's be honest, being "original" takes courage. It takes courage to do things that other members of your family have never done before. It takes courage to step outside the notion of what's "normal" and think differently. It takes courage to BE different than other people, and be original. I mean, have you ever felt like you were trying to be someone other than who you really are ... to fit in or make others happy?

I had the incredible opportunity to hear Dr. Maya Angelou speak recently. She is 83 years old. One of the most powerful things she said was, "Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without it you can't practice any of the others consistently." Patience takes the courage to trust that things happen in their own time, not yours. Diligence requires the courage to not give in to thoughts of failure and keep going. Authentic communication requires the courage to acknowledge your own fears, be honest in what you really want, and say it to someone else, even if they don't agree with you.

It takes immense courage to not just be yourself, but to express yourself truthfully. To be authentic without apology. To embrace your inner goddess, regardless of age, race, color, culture, religion or language. To align your inner knowing of your values, your value and worth, your creativity, and confidently express your inner self with outer certainty to others. To have the courage to be yourself ... at any age ... is the beauty of your inner soul expressing itself into the world.

Bring on your beauty.

Jenn Kaye is an author, speaker and mentor who empowers businesses, brands and lifestyles to communicate authentically and build better relationships. To sign up for the next Courage to Be Yourself workshop, go to www.lifeheadon.com/courage2byourself. Connect with Jenn at www.Facebook.com/JennKaye and follow her on twitter @JennKaye