What is beauty? That question could take us on a wild ride through many people’s minds, but where does it take you?

Some say that beauty is only skin deep. I beg to differ with that statement. If beauty is only skin deep, then beauty is only about the looks and not the person. Beauty has very little to do with the outside and everything to do with what’s on the inside. The heart of a person can make all of the difference in the world.

How many times have you been walking through the mall and seen an “ugly” man with a beautiful woman? Ever wonder how he pulled that off? Well, he may be rich or powerful, but if she seemed really happy to be with him, then it’s probably because he is a beautiful soul.

On the other hand, have you ever been around a person who is drop dead gorgeous, but their personality is so horrible you can’t even stand to be around them? This would be a good example of where beauty really is only skin deep. Outside beauty is shallow, fleeting and changing. If you go into relationships on looks along, it won’t last past the first pregnancy or sickness. There has to be much more to a person than their looks to hold a relationship of any sort.

So, what is beauty? Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. What I find beautiful, you may find repulsive. But I think we can all agree that a beautiful soul makes a beautiful person.

When a person is giving and caring for others, it makes them naturally beautiful to those around them. For me, when a person has a close walk with God, it shows through their personality and proves to be a wonderfully beautiful attribute.

Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Some people find piercings and tattoos to be beautiful; to others, it is repulsive and gross. It all depends on your personality and what you find attractive. But without a strong core, without a real person on the inside, there is no beauty to be found in people. Hollow, selfish individuals are anything but beautiful. Beauty goes beyond the mascara, clothes, weight and hair; it goes straight to the heart.

Look at a person’s heart and you will know if they are truly beautiful. People can put on masks and pretend to be pretty, but after a certain amount of time, their true colors will shine through and that’s when you know about their real beauty.

Which beauty is most important to you? Is the inside of your being the part of you that you work on? Is your soul or personality the part that you spend time grooming and chipping away to a beautiful you? Or do you spend most of your time working on the outer man?

Are exercise and dieting the most important things when beauty is mentioned to you? For me, personally, I’ve been consumed with the outside so much for the past few months that the inside has tended to whither away to a frail and shallow person. When we do an inventory and realize we are falling short in an area, it’s the perfect opportunity to show real beauty. This is when we pick ourselves up by the shoe straps and decide to make a change to once again be beautiful from the inside out. It’s not easy to admit that your insides might be less than attractive, but we can’t get to real beauty without realizing that there is a problem and tackling it head on.

In my life, I’m choosing to take something that isn’t as pretty as it should be, and turning it — to the best of my ability — into something beautiful. Examine yourself today, from the inside out, and see if you need to make any beauty changes. Start on the inside then work your way outside. Don’t be scared of the changes that need to take place to make you beautiful. That haircut might not be the end of the world, and that attitude change just might be the difference between happiness and sadness.