A close college friend of mine has been seeking others' opinions on the definition of beauty. And when I stop to think about it, it's pretty loaded. Maybe that's why I've procrastinated thinking about it. Because it requires one to stop and really think.

As a Think On Point educator, I have a responsibility in showing youth a new and healthy way of looking at themselves. To shred their magazines of air-brushed waifs of so-called "perfection," to stop mirroring all the fictional teens seen on television, and to challenge them to cultivate their own definitions of beauty. Some girls, unfortunately, have been so deeply affected by society that their answers are nothing more than fallacies ripped out of a Seventeen magazine. Others, I am thankful to report, know that beauty can consist of more than just an inward/outward look at oneself. One student during class muttered that she couldn't believe how self-centered girls were when being asked for a definition of beauty, and that her answers were found outside of herself. To date, that is still the best answer I could ask for. This is, in part, because she had an authenticity unmatched by an of her classmates.

Here is what I know: If we are to focus on an individual's beauty, I think it all boils down to one word: acceptance. I can't recall ever seeing a discontented or miserable person inspire me to see her as beautiful. Sure, there are certain flaws within ourselves that can nag us, but I believe if we continue with self-discovery and growth, it will sprout new buds of beauty. Sometimes, when faced with the ugliness and untruths that lie within us, there soon follows a brokenness that can create a beauty much deeper than ever expected. My childhood best friend, though she has confided that she has obstacles in self-consciousness, will never be less than beautiful in my eyes. Maybe it is the peace that comes from our God-given, seemingly innate friendship. Maybe it is the understanding and shared experiences. Or it could be the simple acceptance that we are who we are, and from this, springs a natural beauty and joy.

But beauty when focusing outside of one's self? Jack pot.

Beauty is never taken for granted. Even if we never notice it, it still exists. I guess this reflection on beauty is more than just a friendly assignment: it's a wake-up call for me to slow down and quiet myself and take in all the beauty that surrounds me. I need to bask in the glory of God's wondrous creation. Because all beauty in life leads back to our unmatched Creator.