Now I'm not being cheeky here and pretending I'm some sort of aesthetically perfect goddess, I'm talking about a different kind of beauty. In high school in the States we each pick a quote our final year of school for our yearbook which is supposed to sum up our view on life: the boys all pick some Tupac, the girls pick from the most popular songs of the moment. My senior quote was lyrics from a Carole King song:
"You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
and show the world all the love in your heart
then people are gonna treat you better
you're gonna find, yes you will
You're as beautiful as you feel"
Beauty isn't about glossy hair, white teeth and good bone structure, it's about who you are as a person; when you make eye contact with someone on the street and smile at them; hold a door open for the person behind you; chat to a little old lady on the bus; tell a salesclerk to "have a nice day" or say "Sorry, no thank you." to a telemarketer, instead of just hanging up.
It doesn't take a lot of effort or money to make a big difference in someone's day by being nice. A smile is free and takes seconds, but how many people do you see walking around with a sulk on their face all day?
So yes, I think I was born to be beautiful. I was born to smile and say thank you and help out others however I can. I might not be able to give lots of money, but I can give my time, my enthusiasm and my smile.
You can learn more about the No Child Born to Die campaign and how you can help by visiting the Save the Children website or following them on Twitter. I'll be attending their blogging conference this weekend and I can't wait to see how I can help make the world a little bit more beautiful.
