Any one of our senses can detect beauty.

We’ve heard the adage that “Beauty is only skin deep.” That refers to cultural beauty. It will fade. I have my own version of that well-known maxim: “Superficial beauty is in the eye of the beholder who has their head up their ass.”

Outward beauty, as a lifelong pursuit, will keep you on the surface, never taking you for a deep dive to the beauty beneath.

I had the good fortune to meet one of the screenwriters who wrote the movie “Shallow Hal.” According to Wikipedia, “the film is about a shallow man who, after hypnosis, begins to see peoples' inner beauty reflected in their outward appearance.” The movie is both funny and poignant and engages our curiosity about the standard definition of beauty.

The larger question to ask is: Who recognizes everlasting beauty? The answer: The everlasting beauty in you.

Years ago, I discovered that self-acceptance is a stepping-stone to discover our own beauty. Before you can experience your beauty, fully accept (not justify) your flaws. It’s in those moments of acceptance that your beauty shows its pretty face.

If you have bought into the notion that beauty is only outside of you, it’s time to accept your imperfections and you’ll find that you are a diamond in the rough.

All the best,

John