Over the years, I have met hundreds of what may be called “the beautiful people.” They have a great smile, a fit body, a nice tan, perfect hair and a stylish wardrobe. They truly are, at least in the outward sense, “the beautiful people.” The problem I have found with a great percentage of them is that they use their beauty as their only commodity. This can be a problem for those folks who have yet to figure out how to not get older!

When we define beauty by outward appearances only, we become fooled into thinking that their beauty translates to personality, and there are no real connections between the two. Those people who preen and primp often forget that their inner beauty and personality take just as much work, and it’s even more important in the end.

That, of course, is not to say that those pretty faces cannot be beautiful people as well, nor does it mean that those folks that society would not deem to be attractive are never ugly on the inside. The thing is, both inner and outer beauty are conscious choices, and we all choose to be one or the other.

We have choices in our lives to be beautiful or not, and small changes can make all the difference in the world. Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Vietnamese Zen Buddhist, said “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” I contend that it also makes you more beautiful, too.

Beautiful people have an inner glow that you can see with your eyes closed. You can feel it in a handshake, and you can hear it in a sincere voice. It is a warmth that can only be achieved, for any length of time, with honesty.

Will you choose to pass on a smile to someone who does not smile to you? Will you choose to be humble about your talents, and have sincere praise for the talents of others? Will you, indeed, make yourself grow in your beauty with every opportunity? As the Templar Knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadewarned: “Choose wisely.”