Pretty Is As Pretty Does

As a child, my mother used to say these words to me regularly, “pretty is as pretty does.” She was trying to teach me at an early age that true beauty permeates from within. It is a concept that can be forgotten in our desire and pursuit of aesthetic perfection, but remains true nonetheless; genuine kindness in our thoughts and actions is beautiful.

After all being pretty isn’t really about how we look. It is about how we care for others, but also about the unspoken thoughts and attitudes inside our head. It is about maintaining a positive attitude as well as allowing our exquisiteness to shine through our actions. In earnest, it is the one aspect of our lives that we have total and complete control over – which is a little scary honestly – because the fact is that to think is to create.

Of course, it can feel a daunting task to try and articulate this esoteric notion to a child. How does one explain to a young mind that real beauty is much deeper than the skin on our face? Or that happiness resides within our thoughts and our compassion toward others? Can a child really comprehend these concepts?

My daughter shrieks in delight, and I look over to see my children wrestling on the floor. They’re having the time of their lives, giggling, and playing, but they’re also being intentionally gentle and nice to one another. I smile and shrug off my previous worry realizing the truth: children are brought into this world with an innate abundance of kindheartedness and happiness which is suffocated only when we ignore or dissuade their natural inclination. Their authentic magnificence is intact at birth. It is our job to remind, reinforce, and encourage the belief that already lives within them that pretty is as pretty does.

Embrace Your MOMentum

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