Beauty-Full Tuesday: Michelle of What Happiness Is

This Michelle must have a proud mother, and a proud husband, and proud daughters, because I know I'm proud to be hosting aspiring author Missus Michelle of What Happiness Is 

Feeling beautiful has been so elusive for me.  A good portion of my life has been spent worrying about my lack of beauty, and as a result, I have missed out on opportunities and happiness.  Thankfully in recent years, I have let go of all that nonsense.  Of course I still have days I wish I were thinner or that my hair was fuller, or whatever it may be, but for the most part I feel beautiful and here are my two main secrets:

1 - Accepting and believing sincerely given compliments.  Especially the ones that have more to do with my character and less to do with my physical appearance.  I allow myself to see that beauty involves much much more than my dress size.  

It's like looking at a Monet painting up close.  If you scrutinize individual brush strokes, it is nothing more than squiggly lines and smeared paint.  The beauty of the masterpiece is found in stepping back and taking in the whole picture.  The same is true when looking for beauty in ourselves, we need to stop focusing in on individual features and appreciate our full characters.

2 - Being true to myself.  It takes practice and courage, but I believe that beauty is reflected more abundantly in those who know what they stand for, and honestly try to live in alignment with those standards.  It can be so easy to be a different person depending on who we are with, but where is the power in that? Real beauty comes from confidence, and real confidence comes in being true to who we are.  Knowing who I am, and being true to that knowledge makes me feel beautiful!  

I guess what it comes down to is the belief that beauty is our birthright.  We were all created with the ingredients of beauty, the only thing we need to add is our willingness to believe it and the courage express it!