Standing in line at Philz the cashier looks at me and tells me I have a beautiful smile. He says so every time I go in and he is working. He sometimes even says it as I walk past the store. Yesterday morning he asked if he had told me before, because it was important that I know, that i have a beautiful smile.
It is funny the things that others see when they look at you. For the longest time I have been insecure about my smile.
It is liberating.
My appearance does not define me. My fashion sense does not determine my worth in the world.
Women who wear makeup do supposedly make more money (10% more) and get promoted more often. 'What not to Wear' has taught me a great deal about the importance of caring about my appearance. Women who are attractive and well maintained make it farther in the work force and 'life'. BUT is that where my worth lies? In making more money? or being promoted? I don't even function in that world. If I did should I let those things be so important?
It seems petty to even have these issues on my radar. But it is the little things in life that can be the most distracting and damaging if they go ignored. In light of not wearing makeup or jewelry my overall focus on appearance has shifted. It has been easier to not read fashion magazines thus reducing the overwhelming urge to shop (plus i have been thinking more about how environmentally unsustainable it is for people to purchase as much clothing as Americans do). So it is effecting other areas of my life.
I have also been pondering beauty more holistically. People are more beautiful when they smile. So instead of thinking about the fact that my eyes stand out more with eye liner, I am focusing on smiling more. Hey the guy at Philz thinks I have a great smile, I might as well flaunt it!
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