What Beauty is to Me

So I was browsing through some of my old papers from high school and came across the following. It was a short assignment from who knows when:

Personally, beauty is not the amount of make-up one wears nor the money spent on clothes, but rather confidence in oneself. As there is moderation in all things, a healthy balance of self-confidence and self-appreciation can prove to outweigh any physical feature. Picture two girls walking down the street: The first, though made-up and glamorous, walks sluggishly with her head down. The second, though plain in her appearance, walks with enthusiasm and her head held high. She acknowledges others passing her and smiles as they go by. To me, the latter example has true beauty; she feels good about herself and expresses it through her actions. I would much rather see a sincere smile on one’s lips than lipstick. Society today pushes its image of “beauty” on women so fiercely that people have begun to take drastic measures. With eating disorders growing more common everyday, I only wonder how these magazine models and movie stars honestly feel about themselves. I myself may not be the thinnest person nor am I the most catching, but I feel good about who I am and am comfortable with what I do. With that said, I admit that when I look in the mirror, I can say to myself, “Hey, I like you!” instead of criticizing remarks. And in that, I find true beauty.