What Is Perfect Beauty?

This is just something I want to share about experience that I face a lot. Excuse me, it's not a story of bragging. Just a reality which I think can be a little helpful to share here. Everywhere that I go, I heard a lot of compliments from total strangers. People who I don't have any clue at all and of course people that I know too. However, I wonder why the look always came first. To be honest, I'm just an average looking person but I heard a lot "You're beautiful.." Isn't that ironic? To me, everyone is beautiful. Then of course I will smile back and say thanks but usually I will sealed it with "You're beautiful too..."

At first I just found it pretty annoying from guys because I took it as sign of flirting or something but as I grew a little older, now I look at it from another different angle. It comes back to me as when you look at things more positively, everything will be better and... that smile. Smile is a free gift from the heart. It's free but invaluable. You will never know when you smile to someone that might be the best smile they saw for the day after a long struggling day they been through. It's courtesy and nice thing to do. Trust me, it's not that hard to smile, they can't tie 50Kg bag on people's lips so it's not heavy to curl up a little of your lips to smile. By the way, everyone looks better when they smile. Putting on a long sour face will not make you feel better anyway.

Few example here for your pleasure readings. I usually pass through the International airport security or Immigration pretty easily. It's not something good to say but after a really long flight and queue, won't everyone wish the officer to just stamp it and let you pass through instead of more questions with some suspicious look on their face? Few remarkable experience I had, in LA airport last year when the Immigration officer, a guy asked me "Have anyone here tell you yet that you're beautiful?" I'm too tired to answer promptly. Then instead of asking me what was I there for, he asked if I need hand with my luggage. Sweet isn't it? The next was Sydney airport... (Toot... Toot... They're one of the strictest in the world. They use sniffing dogs throughout the airport ok!) There's this guy who I don't know that he could be that speedy. He slipped a paper inside my passport with a note saying.. "Hey beautiful, call me in case you have any difficulties at this airport next time. XOXO" and signed by Ian. That's his name. And the last I wanted to share is at Dubai airport, the Immigration guy said "Today itself I've seen more than 250 faces on my counter since my duty started but you are the most beautiful face I saw in a long time.." How about that?

It's not just guys, believe me ladies too. Sometimes they said "You look sweet in red" or whatever color I'm wearing at that time. Sometimes they said "You make the dress look stunning.." and most recently, a policewoman at airport stopped me and asked "Where's your destination?" I wonder what's happening. I told her and showed her my boarding pass. She just smiled and said "Miss, you're so beautiful." Thanks to her. I was once stopped by 3 girls in the middle of G Street in Washington, DC. They came from the opposite direction and asked if they can just snap a shot with me. I said yes and they were so exhilarated! Before I walked away they asked how did I keep the figure and the beauty. Ok, another remark here. I'm neither in size 2 like super models nor have any gorgeous hourglass curve as Beyoncé. In fact I'm quite straight in figure. Neither do I have obvious noticeable lady humps! (front or back) All just ordinary..

Not to mentioned how sometimes during queue people will just say you may go first or they give me a little bit more for what I ordered for and even better bargain or discount when buying things. Okay, let's cut all this short. Why did people say "You're beautiful.." ? Why people from all different continents use this same word? Beautiful.. So I started to be curious to the meaning of beautiful in the eyes of everyone. But what really touched me is the younger generation. Little girls, teenage girls and unfortunately, boys too. That lead me to start asking questions. One of my friends used to say I have a fan base ranging from 5 years old to 65 years old. That was just a joke from him.

The few incidents that touched me were when girls brave up to approach me. They said I'm beautiful and they wish to look like me when they grow up. Hmmm.... Couple of years ago I did an event with our local women. Some of them brought their daughters along during each gathering. The ladies said let them learned from young age. So few girls there age between 5 to 9, five of them. First gathering all of them just sat aside watched us quietly. After few meet up, they took the chance to walked up to me while I was busy looking at their mothers practicing on something. Actually the 7 years old girl looked really nervous when they approached me. It was sweet, they addressed me as Miss Cassie. All of them said they want to grow up to be just like me. I was bumped! Didn't know how to react to that but as usual smile first. So I asked "Why want to be like me? What do you sweeties like about me? Now all the words and excitement came out of their mouth. "You're beautiful. You're tall. You're slim. You're smart. You're really nice and kind" and oops!! The youngest one said "All our mommies listen to you and my mommy really likes you. She talk a lot about you to everyone.." Feel like my brain stop functioning for a while at that little moment. Somehow excitement really sparks in their eyes when they talked and surrounded me. They showered me with lots of love and joy. They are so adorable and one thing I know for sure, they spoke from their heart.

Since I had that simple chance, I talked more with them and part of the rhythm of our conversation went like this:-

Me: Girls, what do you see as beautiful?
Girls: They shouted instantly at the same time "You!"
Me: Why me? What about me? Can you girls tell me slowly?
Girls: You are so perfect. Your face are beautiful. Your skin is fair. You are tall and slim. Your hair shiny and long. Your nails are pretty and ......
Me: Ok, thanks girls.. Is that all you see as beautiful?
Girls: (This is by the 9 years old) She said: You have nice pretty dresses and all your shoes are nice! (By this she mean high heels/stilettoes)
Me: Don't worry Darling. You will have all of this when you grow up.
Girls: Why my mommy don't have that?
Me: (I won't answer to that and I changed to something else) So you want to be like me when you grow up right? Why?
Girls: Because you look like those girls in the magazines and TV advertisements. So famous.. You walk like models too
Me: I want all of you to know that each one of you are beautiful. Very beautiful. Just promise me do not be mean to people. Can you? Always try your best to be nice to people okay..
Girls: Love your smiles. You are so nice, talking to us. You're outstanding in the crowd and you are not scared or shy talking in front of many people.

And the cute little crowd disperse...

Did you notice about the conversation? That was a direct impact from media. How many of us actually fallen into the stereotype beauty? Medias only present girls with certain look while fashion shows parading extra slim and tall girls! What come to our mind then? Only girls like them are considered beautiful and they will live famously. Everyone love them and want to be like them. How many of us actually look like them? The honest truth, not many.. We are all real everyday people that comes in many size, shapes, height, build and one thing for sure we are all unique in our own way.

Another quite sickening beauty trend. The nip and tuck under knife procedure in the name of beauty. Yes! Plastic surgery. Why do we have to do that? Bigger eyes, sharp pointed nose, popping high cheek bones, sharp chin, boobs job and all the possible things. Don't you think that the features we have are from our creator? He gave us our own identity and he made each one of us over a billion population on this earth to be unique! There might be a look alike person somewhere. Similar yes but never the same. There is no second you or me in this world.

There was even one girl during a friend's wedding. She was so attached to me that day. She's the bride's niece. At the end of the wedding reception, this little 8 years old girl asked her mom if she can allow me to drop her home. She wanted to spend time with me so ended up I drove her home. In the car, she asked "Can you please make my face like yours?" I didn't know what to say but I noticed her so I told her "I wish to have a nose like yours and a define lips like yours. They are so pretty." She looked puzzle and she asked me "really?" She reacted like it was the first time someone told her that. I asked her to look into the mirror everyday and see how beautiful she is and she still call me on phone until now.

I wish everyone know they are beautiful. Do not let the beauty being so narrowly define. Real beauty comes in every shape, size and color. By the way I told the girls nobody is perfect. In fact I don't have the exact definition of "perfect" in a human being. I told them I don't have sharp nose, I have flaws and scars too. I have extra fat here and there and that help keep me warm sometimes. I use make up to enhance what is there not to change my face. I know I am blessed for the little height I have and somewhat a lean body. I don't starve myself, I eat everything that I want. I eat whenever I feel hungry. Live your life the way you want it. Make sure to live a good and healthy life. If you're too busy observing someone else because you want to be like them the result is you are living his or her life not yours. Don't let it be too late to the point when you realize you don't even know the real you anymore because it has been too long you're living the life of someone else. Remember life can be too short if we don't live it well and there's nothing permanent in life. With a blink of eyes, time pass us by. Whether you're using braces or have birth marks, who give them the right to say you're not beautiful? If your natural looks provokes anyone, forget about them. Just know that everyone have their own flaws. Please keep in mind magazine advertisements mostly is the end result done by professionals. A simple photo shoots involved so many people in it and Photoshop is kind of magic too.

We have the whole world in front of us to explore. Explore it, live your life. Don't live and bound to the stereotype beauty. Looks, undeniably is very important but that perfect beauty we sought after isn't everything that we need in this life. Be you and let's imagine beauty as the source of confident and well being not anxiety or worries which lead us to low self-esteem. You're beautiful.

So what exactly is perfect beauty? I guess there is nothing really is.