[Thursday Thoughts]: Every woman must have these 3 “beauty” essentials

"That's the thing about inner beauty: unlike physical beauty, which grabs the spotlight on itself, inner beauty shines on everyone, catching them, holding them in its embrace, making them more beautiful." - Anonymous

Despite the deliberately misleading headline, this blog post is not going to be about cosmetic products. Unlike other blogs which pander to societal expectations of beauty and expect their female readers to aspire to achieving outer beauty, this blog and its writer firmly believe in the importance of inner beauty.

As a former Jyoti Nivas student, one phrase I often heard was "Let Your Light Shine".  This happened to be my college motto and in the three years I spent there, I realized that this was a great life motto as well. But I was left with a dilemma - "How Do I Get My Light to Shine?" The answer to this was revealed on my very first yoga class.  During the final sequence, the facilitator led us into a few quiet moments of meditation before asking us to commence the "Om" chanting. As the class chanted Om in unison, her gentle voice instructed us to raise our folded hands to our head, mouth and heart and therein came my revelation.

1. Good Thoughts

Positive, optimistic thoughts are a must-have in your "beauty" kit. It's believed that one's face reflects the quality of one's thoughts.

Image Source: quotesgram.com

A great way to start your day on a positive note is to start a gratitude journal. Every day, right after you wake up, write down three things that you feel grateful for that day. It may seem silly and insignificant, but it's a great "happy pill" for when you feel down in the doldrums.

2. Good Communication

If you are a meditating monk on the inside but sound like Donald Trump on a Twitter rant when you speak, your "beauty" ratings are going to take a huge fall. When you talk, how do people around you feel? Not everybody is blessed with the oratory skills of Dr. Shashi Tharoor but that shouldn't hold you back. Good communication is about being respectful, honest and kind with your words regardless of whom you're talking to.

3. Good Intentions

Every action you take is preceded by a goal or intention, conscious and unconscious. Your intention is the underlying purpose for undertaking an action. Instead of striving to bully or disrespect others, show them down, manipulate their beliefs or emotions, etc. through your actions, learn to cultivate good intentions. Good intentions don't always account for successful outcomes but they always make the process of achieving that outcome more enjoyable.

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Cosmetics will do you no good unless you are beautiful on the inside as well. Show off your inner beauty with good thoughts, good communication and good intentions and let the world see your light shine.