All my life I grew up with the basic knowledge that I was never, ever, going to be a beauty queen.  A super model.  A Playboy ‘Playmate’.   A stunning creature who turns every head in the room.  A 36-24-36 kind of woman.  This, my friends, was an unavoidable personal truth.

Since I exist in an average package (I say this without self-condemnation) and I was acutely aware of this at a young age, I decided to cultivate an inner sparkle if you will. An internal brilliance that emanated from my words, my intelligence, my passion, and my kindness.  I’ve spent the last 30-ish years creating a depth of soul.  A tangible pool of substance that I draw upon to lift those around me up.

In a world where our beauty is defined by air-brushed and photo-shopped pictures of perfection, it’s tough to look at ourselves in the mirror and believe we are more than our corporeal shells.  To appreciate our physical imperfections.  To embrace our external flaws.

It’s disheartening.

Good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.  We don’t have to accept this definition.  Each one of us can define perfection on our own terms.  Take a moment, look in the mirror, and see beyond the reflected image.  What’s inside that person staring back at you?  What exists within?  If you look hard enough, you can find it.  The things that make you irresistible.  Maybe it’s your eternal optimism.  Your tenderness.  Your creativity.  Your intelligence.  Your sensitivity.

There are so many things that are beautiful, not just a perfect body.

In my quest for my inner twinkle, I’ve come to realize that I am a beauty. A stunner.  A looker.  A unique human being who has so much to give and offer those around me.  It my not come in a perfect shell, but it’s there.

I’m certain that those reading this have that same sparkle inside of them as well.

Find your true beauty.  Embrace it.