Zest is the secret of all beauty.
There is no beauty that is attractive without it.

~ Christian Dior

Sitting in a room full of women, at a dinner generously hosted by Therapon after Blissdom’s closing key note, paradox struck me:

How could we be different and yet so similar at the same time?

Christina asked each of us to share our thoughts and perspective on inner beauty; what could have been repetitive or even trite, ended up being an affecting, heartfelt symphony about beauty, and I reached for the only scrap of paper I could find–a deposit slip!–to record those thoughts to share with you.  These are only slivers of our discussion and I missed a few women, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on real beauty after you consider their list.

“Confidence!”~  Lindsey

“Sharing laughter…and tears” ~ Kim

“Knowing and loving yourself” ~ Ria

“Embracing your gifts and loving what you do” ~ Lise

“Learning from suffering” ~ Esther

“The idea of contentment and peace with what you have, where you are” ~ Angie

“Joy and simplicity” ~ Jessica

“For my boys to grow up good” ~ Deena

“Accepting myself” ~ Dawn

“Before you became aware of everything around you and worried about what people were thinking,” ~ Kristen

“Embracing your own style and OWNING it!” ~ Tobi

“Being in the company of other women,” ~ Tori

“It comes from within and no one can take it away” ~ Jamie

“Real beauty is red hair (ha!).  Respecting self and others.” ~ Melanie

“When my little one says ‘Mommy, you’re pretty!” ~ Jill

“Being kind and welcoming” ~ JoLynne

“Embracing curly hair!” ~ Stephanie

“Realizing you’re fearfully and wonderfully made, in addition to how you treat people” ~ Sarah

“Self acceptance, loving unconditionally” ~ Valerie

“Smiling and making a connection” ~ Jolan

“…from making people laugh” ~ Lora Lee

The room was fully alive as each lady shared her heart, and more than a few times we were moved to tears from the sheer beauty of story and perspective.

: : : : : : :

Your turn:  Close your eyes and contemplate what real beauty means to you?  Now tell us!