*Inner Beauty: An Untarnishable and permanent truth.

“That's how powerful you are, girl...You pretty, but pretty alone is not what people see. 

You the kinda pretty, the kinda beauty, that's like a mirror. Men and women see themselves in you, only now they so beautiful that they can't bear to see you go.” 

― Walter Mosley, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

Last semester, I had to develop a 
"community project" for a class (occupational therapy school) that was centered around  creating/increasing opportunities for people or groups of people to enhance their occupations (not job...anything from leisure activities to self-care) and functionality. 

-A Few weeks ago, I did a "pilot study" of my program with some classmates who were also interested in doing my project (and were phenomenal!). We worked with 7 year olds at the local Boys and Girls club and the activity was called "I am beautiful because...." I made a poster that said this and after talking to the ladies about self esteem, and what "feeling beautiful" meant, they each got a post it and wrote why they were beautiful. After they were done, each one came up in front of the group, read their post it, and put it on the poster. Let me tell you, I teared up watching these precious girls announce to their peers why their were "beautiful". My most supreme hope, goal, desire, wish, what have you, in this life is to promote healthy self esteem and help give someone the courage to accept that they are worth being loved/cared for...no matter what has happened to them. Hearing those girls read that they were beautiful because ....of their hearts, they loved their parents, took care of their dog, they were nice to their friends, cared about others, etc., stirred up an indescribable feeling in my heart. Not one of them said, "because I am pretty, because I am skinny, because I have long hair....." nothing physical. When I first started talking to them, I asked if they knew was self esteem and confidence was. One girl raised her hand and said, "we are only 7!!!!" I was somewhat discouraged at first because i thought they might be too young to grasp what "inner beauty" was. However, after an hour of activities and explanations, these girls got it. They absolutely got it. I am in love with the idea of creating a program that is geared towards saving a little girl's/boy's heart from the torment, fears, frustrations, aches, and complete terror that comes from abuse...that so often times leads to...hell on earth  AKA an eating disorder.  

It's no surprise, that when googling "beauty" you are going to get back an abundance of pictures of flawless faces and bodies. .Welcome to the American media and it's portrayal of beauty...aka physical perfection.

P.S watch this
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

Inner Beauty: 

While Outer Beauty is but a temporary and
fleeting illusion, Inner Beauty is an Untarnishable and permanent Truth. It is the purest expression of Beauty that the soul has to offer.

little insight into occupational therapy and its correlation to one's *beauty*....

Occupational therapy focuses on enabling people to participate in meaningful and purposeful activities of daily life. An individual’s “occupation” is any activity that occupies her time. When a person struggles with an eating disorder, the prior healthy roles/occupations fade; their primary occupation becomes the eating disorder and the many rituals and behaviors required to maintain it.  Previous occupations such as socializing with friends, participating in favorite leisure activities, volunteering, sharing time with family, and engaging in work or school, gradually fade until there is a severe lack of balance and the only focus of their day is the eating disorder. OT helps individuals with eating disorders reestablish these previous healthy occupations and the life balance they once had.

Statistics that must be changed 

-The number one magic wish for young girls age 11-17 is to be thinner.

-Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents.

B E A U T Y

Ideals of beauty are a constantly changing product of culture, religion, visual appeal, genetic response, marketing, and social mores. Historically and presently, those whose appearance is out of step with some perceived norm, which is usually defined by the majority or those in power, suffer discrimination. Those who have felt that their appearance (whether a result of age or genetic endowment) is unattractive or otherwise limits their options sometimes resort to extreme and potentially dangerous procedures to modify their appearance. -Wed MD article

"Your adornment must not be merely external...but let it be the hidden person of the heart..."- I Peter 3:3-4

"Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore, give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Remain steadfast...and one day you will build something that endures, something worthy of your potential."
-Epictetus

Love this post, I do :)

-Cortney