A woman I know who is absolutely beautiful, inside and out and has the most vibrant presence has taught me something profound. Everywhere she went a wake of warm, sweetness was felt and smiles reflected. It was hard to believe she spent a good portion of her life thinking she was ugly, not very intelligent, never being seen for who she really was and most importantly; walking as if she were invisible.

Years of self-love practices and a deep commitment to discovery self-reflection and this journey called life, she started to recognize part of her fears, doubts, and insecurities were coming from this place she would seek external validation. In other words, she would wait to feel good about who she is until someone would see her, pay a compliment or otherwise provide her permission. She continued to observe this part of her process, learning so much about both herself as well as others.

As she gained a deeper truth; we have our own internal validation, therefore we should never wait for others to give us permission. The other interesting observation is that we can only see in others what we see in ourselves. If those around us are not working internally, they will not see you internally. While interacting with another person, we must first know they are on a separate and important path, while ours is uniquely different and should be honored as such. Loving yourself, from our own heart, mind, and body. Such a powerful and empowering revelation.