As I get older, I constantly am questioning myself. Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do others see me? How do I see myself? As I am trying to figure out what really matters and what my true goals are, my main focus has been building my character. I feel that if I have a strong character, I can accomplish anything. What type of person do I want to be though? While reflecting on that for the longest time I finally had an answer; I want to be beautiful.

No, I am not talking about physical beauty. I am talking about that cheesy inner beauty that many people talk about. Being beautiful on the inside is a quality that I feel is very important because it can be hard to accomplish. What does it mean to have true inner beauty though? Here are some things that I think that it takes to accomplish having it.

Be Kind

Everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about. It does not take that much to be simply kind to those around you. Hold a door for someone, give a smile, say please and thank you, or just offer help whenever you can. Giving just a little of yourself out of kindness can turn someone's whole day around. Be kind whenever you can.

Hold Back Judgement

Everyone is different and nobody has to be just like you. Uniqueness is what makes life and people exciting. I am not saying you have to like everyone, but hold back the mean judgements you have about them. Chances are they might even think you're a little weird too. Never hate someone because of their religion, race, or sexuality. Let them be proud of who they are and live their own lives. You have no right to take away someone's individuality just because they do things differently than you. Always try to put yourself in their shoes.

Think Before You Speak

You words can leave a huge impact on people. Watch what you're about to say before you say it. Fighting with someone? Think about if it's really worth it. Do not destroy others with your words but instead build them up.

Make Time For The People That Matter

You are never too busy to be there for the people that you love. Take the time to listen to them, give advice, and be the light on their dark days. They appreciate you being there for them more than you think.

Love Yourself

Stop being so hard on yourself. Start giving yourself more credit and realize how truly amazing you are. There is no one else like you so embrace it. You deserve love, and especially the love from yourself. They only way that you can love others correctly is to learn how to love yourself first.

Show Others What Love Is, Even If They Don't Show It Back.

One of the hardest things is to give yourself to people who do nothing for you. It's hard to be kind to those who are rude to you, and not easy to avoid treating them the same way they treated you. But no matter how many times people people let you down, hurt you, or take everything from you, never stop giving love. Never stop being kind or helping others. There are bad things in the world but do not be a bad person. You can't control other people but you can control yourself and how you treat others. Never stop giving love even if you don't receive it in return.

Being beautiful is something I work towards everyday. I want to make a difference in the world and the only way to start is with myself. Inner beauty will always be more important than physical beauty, and is something that I believe that everyone should work towards.