To be beautiful means to be yourself

“How do you react when you think you need people’s love? Do you become a slave for their approval? Do you live an inauthentic life because you can’t bear the thought that they might disapprove of you? Do you try to figure out how they would like you to be, and then try to become that, like a chameleon? In fact, you never really get their love. You turn into someone you aren’t, and then when they say “I love you,” you can’t believe it, because they’re loving a facade. They’re loving someone who doesn’t even exist, the person you’re pretending to be. It’s difficult to seek other people’s love. It’s deadly. In seeking it, you lose what is genuine. This is the prison we create for ourselves as we seek what we already have.”
― Byron Katie

I think it is a timeless reminder for everyone because in a society, there tends to be an unspoken pressure or expectation for people to conform to a certain ideal in order to be loved or accepted. It takes a deeper understanding of our uniqueness and unity for people to appreciate one another for who they are, and not for who they try to become.

I am reminded of this quote:

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Yes, to be beautiful is to be your authentic self. I was reflecting that the word beautiful can be seen as “be-You-to-the-full”. You are beautiful just as you are.