Beauty begins and ends with a smile.

“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” 

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Is there anything more beautiful than a person smiling, or better yet, laughing? I don’t think so. It’s almost contagious.

When you see someone smiling from ear to ear, filled with joy, you can’t help but smile too. Am I right? Sometimes I catch myself trying not to smile or laugh as I walk down the street, or I am driving in the car, remembering something funny. But then I’m reminded of this quote.

Why would I ever want to stifle my happiness and joy? Why would I ever want to hide my happiness?

Smiles breed more smiles.

We tend to be so serious all of the time. We chart our course based on our to-do lists, and we spend so much time worrying about the past or the future. We set standards that we believe we need to measure up to to be beautiful, successful, meaningful, and the bottom line of it all, to feel good enough. When really, all any of us want is to feel like we matter. 

So, what if it isn't exactly about measuring up to any arbitrary yardstick?

What if the secret to feeling like we matter is as simple as looking for reasons to smile no matter what? Your smile has the power to transform someone’s day, light up the room, change the vibe, and open you up to opportunities, love, connection, and the present moment.

I think smiling is the key to letting go and embracing how beautiful we (and life) are right now. I came up with three steps to embrace your beauty and smile more every single day.

Begin and end with you. Try opening your eyes in the morning and smiling. 

Your smile has superpowers. So why not give that gift to yourself first thing when you start your day and right before you go to bed? It’s like setting an intention, only with action instead of words.

Beauty has nothing to do with perfection… No really, it doesn’t.

We have this very skewed perception of what beauty looks like. Not one person on this planet is perfect. In fact, our flaws and imperfections are what make us unique. They are endearing. So embrace your crooked nose, big forehead or short legs. They make you different, and beautiful.

Embrace what is while being eager for more expansion and experiences. 

It’s okay to want what you want to make some improvements.  You want to lose twenty pounds, cut your hair, improve your wardrobe...
Go for it!! It’s human nature to have desires, to want to expand and experience more.

But try to do it from a place of inspiration and excitement, not from a place of fear or lack. Not from feeling like you are not beautiful. 

Being happy with what is, looking for things to appreciate, seeing the silver lining right here and now, smiling and laughing every day as much as you can, and being eager for more at the same time is the pathway to joy.


And it all starts with a smile. 

Go ahead, let your beautiful light shine.

Cheers.