by Jennifer Howard

Created on: June 12, 2008

In today's society it is almost hard to believe the old adage that beauty is on the inside. All one has to do is turn on the television or pick up a magazine to see what we believe to be beautiful.

Pictures of dangerously thin women grace the covers of magazines. These paragons of perfection stare down at us from bill boards and movie screens. The men are tall, tan, and muscular.

We strive to meet this almost unattainable standard to be one of the beautiful people. Are we realy making our selves beautiful? What good is a pretty package that is empty on the inside?

I think beauty lies on the inside. I am sure everyone remembers that girl or guy from high school. The one that was absolute perfection. Everyone wanted to be them or be with them. Maybe she was the captain of the cheer leading squad or he was the foot ball hero. Unfortunately most of them only had the perfect package on the out side. She made the lives of those who she thought was beneath her a living nightmare. He was a jerk and maybe even made you cry.

The point is someone can look beautiful on the outside, but through their actions or personality be very ugly. Outer beauty fades, just like a spring flower that begins to wilt and loose it's petals. No matter how hard we try there is not a surgery, pill, or magic potion that will change the fact that we will all be old and grey one day. We can slow the effects of time, but no one can stop it.

There comes a day in every one's life that we wake up and all we have is the person we have become. I would rather be the person who spent my life being a good and kind person. I will never meet the ideal our society has set for women, nor do I want to.

I surround myself with people who are beautiful on the inside. Which just so happens to shine through to their outward appearance. Inner beauty consists of many qualities. Someone who is kind, good to others, friendly is a far more beautiful person than someone who is outwardly beautiful and is narcissistic, selfish, and unkind.

They are my best friends and their big hearts show. You can see it in their eyes and in the warm and friendly smiles. Their warm and inviting personalities soften enhance their outer appearance and make them beautiful inside and out. You can not have true outer beauty without a beautiful personality. As much as they try that pretty facade can not hide their ugly personalty.

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