Within
This morning, I found myself inches away from the mirror, carefully examining the results of my skincare routine. It was a courageous moment, facing the mirror and acknowledging the reality of the thousands of pores on my skin. Yet, beyond mere observation, it was a moment of intimate self-reflection, acknowledging imperfections. Still, even in this moment of acknowledgment, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still room for improvement. I found myself wondering: Was there something more I could do to enhance my skin from within? Increasing my water intake seemed like a logical step, a simple gesture towards better hydration. But beyond hydration, what else could I do? The concept of “from within” ignited a cascade of thoughts, unravelling the intricate dance of internal factors that shape our outer glow. Suddenly, the line between skincare and self-care blurred, inviting me to explore the intimate connection between the two.
The Mirror’s Gaze
As I delved deeper into this concept, a common thought emerged, a universal truth reflected back, clearer and cleaner than my mirror: true beauty transcends mere skincare routines. It radiates from within, influenced by self-love, nourishment, and inner peace. It extends beyond the surface, encompassing mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
However, the weight of these reflections felt heavy in the early hours of the morning. With a quiet sigh, I gently shifted my focus back to my skin and its pores, allowing the simplicity of my skincare routine to ground me anew. As satisfying as it was to ensure my pores were clean, it reminded me of those dreaded magnifying mirrors in hotel bathrooms – the ones we reluctantly gaze into, secretly hoping that reality doesn’t mirror the harshness of their reflection. At times, we might even seek reassurance from a good friend, asking “Are my pores THIS visible?” A true friend will say “No”, or “Not that much”. True friend might even offer advice or suggest treatments, but ultimately, they’ll affirm our beauty regardless.
For those who genuinely love us see beyond the surface; they see our faces as beautiful and pure, just as they see our souls and hearts.
The Pores of the Heart
For those who genuinely love us see beyond the surface; they see our faces as beautiful and pure, just as they see our souls and hearts. Yet, can we view ourselves in the same light, as a whole? Or do we focus only on specific flaws, magnifying them daily? Do we possess the courage to examine the pores of our hearts and souls, confronting the billions of thoughts racing through our minds, and daring to cleanse them. Can we find satisfaction in the results? Can we be committed to doing it regularly? Will we embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-love, where the reflection we see in the mirror reflects not only our physical appearance but also the depth of our inner being?
Reflections in Stillness
Moreover, is it really the most important thing for us how others perceive us? Do we seek validation externally, prioritising the opinions of others over our own self-perception? Is our first instinct to create a mask, an appearance, or a version of ourselves that others would approve and accept? In doing so, are we not rejecting our true selves? Why is it so terrifying to look within ourselves and try to like what we see, even if it means confronting magnified imperfections?
As I gazed at my reflection, I couldn’t help but ponder the metaphorical significance of cleansing our skin. Just as we diligently purify our pores to reveal smoother, healthier skin, perhaps we should embark on a similar journey of introspection and self-care for our minds and hearts. Could it be that by delving into the depths of our consciousness, we unearth hidden insecurities and fears, much like impurities clogging our pores? And just as we apply gentle cleansers to our skin, could we use compassion and understanding to cleanse our inner selves, allowing our true essence to shine through?
What does “beauty from within” mean to you? Have you ever felt the pull to look beyond the surface? Share your story – I’d love to learn from your journey.
Life is a strange series of happenings:
When we're very young, we have no awareness of 'Self'. We are as we are. Slowly, we inhabit more and more our body. Is it by cultural or social influence but slowly we care more and more what others think about us. The more we adult, the more our look becomes important, together with how others perceive us. Our ego wants to look good and to give a good impression.
Until something happens and shakes our onderstanding of "being". A moment of inner awakening pops up. We experience something as seeing ourselves from the viewpoint of a spectator.
When a guided meditation helps us to go a little bit deeper, we are confronted with a "Self" that inhabits a body and that has capabilities beyond our analytical and limited thinking brain. It's not a human knowledge. It's like a familiar knowing that suddenly becomes visible and that has a magnetic attraction force.
There's a crack where the light of another world comes in. The world of being ... the awareness of existence, of 'soul', of being part of something greater than the eyes and the human mind can see.
At that moment, a lot of transcendental questions pop up: who am I? What and where is beauty? Where is the line between me as a non-physical being and the body that feels as 'mine'.
At that moment the journey starts for those who accept the call of the unknown. It becomes a journey of discovering and deep-soul-diving which itself is perceived as a way to experience real Life.
Metaphysicss... forces us to go beyond the standard roads of science. A journey that we have to walk alone, because the knowledge and the experience only builds up in the own Soul.
A never ending journey with only more and more beauty that we discover.
We even come to the point where the outer beauty is no longer the most appealing or the most visible one.
I had a long journey inwards due to several circumstances and my explicit choice. At a certain moment I had an appointment with a lady for a meditation session. The first time I met her something special happened: I was not able to see her clearly with my eyes because I got an immediate flashback to a certain fragment of the book from Baird Spalding, 'the Masters of the Far East'. It was a beautiful impression which I received inside my feelings of my own being. The most remarkable was that, even after 5 times going to that meditation, I was never able to recall her face. I only could recall that beautiful energy field. Beauty comes from the place with the strongest energy field.
We tend to look for the outside and make sure that we look good. But true beauty comes from being deep inside of us.
I trained myself to feel the energy of people, because that gives me more information about honesty, openness, inner beauty, the unconditional love, the kindness, ... before even one word is spoken. It allows for a real soul contact. A contact on a much deeper and satisfying level while still respecting the other one totally. I can assure you: without that you can do anything about it, your heart will jump of joy and it feels as if we meet a good old friend.
Therefore, when I see someone, I first see beauty, and then eventually the human appearance. But for this lady, it was the first time for me that the impression was fully clear and overruled the human perception totally (I was even a bit embarrassed because I knew that if I would encounter her 4 hours later, I wouldn't recognize her unless the same experience would happen again).
All of us radiate energy, even over big distances through our words and our thoughts. It's our trademark that we can't hide. Beauty is way more than the eye can see.
What the eye sees, goes to the brain. The brain looks it up in its database (cultural or social data) and assigns a label based on the data. The soul however, bypasses the database and any other precondition and gets a full clean impression of what 'is' without any judgment.
True beauty will be perceived undistorted. The outside doesn't matter at that moment. The essence of our being matters.
Being connected to the deeper levels of life opens remarkable possibilities and experiences. A connection to the non-physical world of our true being.
Enjoy the journey. Discover who you are.
🙏✨️
I love this piece! Self reflection is needed in all our lives! We need to be honest with ourselves and look humbly within in order to be a better “you”! Self awareness, correction or adjustments in ourselves is what genuinely makes who we are! Like Michael Jackson sung about…” I’m starting with the man in the mirror “! What profound words. You and Adrian are very humble and honest with your views of people and self!