Read the right magazines, that give you the right tips, to be the right kind of person society wants you to be. Simple right?

Well I say, “No thanks.” I say it’s time to challenge these concepts. Starting today.

What makes you feel beautiful?

Notice the key word here is not beautiful. The key word is feel. Let’s rearrange.

Beautiful! What makes you feel?

Hmm, well now here is a question!

• I feel when I love.

• I love when I feel God’s presence.

• I love when I use my talents and gifts.

• I feel the most in times of inspiration and grace.

• When my spirit is alive, I feel its beauty touching other people!

From an early age, we associate ourselves with our appearance. This face is me, this body is mine. This is who I am. The deeper a person grows spiritually, the more they move away from this toddler-like mentality. We never disconnect ourselves from our bodies, but we do begin to realize this: We are not defined simply by our bodies alone.

Before we try to become something beautiful, maybe we should get more in touch with what makes us feel, in the first place.

So, next time you look in the mirror, ask, “Hey beautiful! What makes you feel?”