We live in a world that strives for perfection. We tan our skin using artificial light, we starve to lose weight to look more like emaciated cover girls and have cosmetic surgery on everything from toes to noses - all in the name of beauty.

In a world where everything can be modified for the sake of perfection, nothing seems real anymore. It seems we are so obsessed with what we want to be that we don't want to know who we are. We forget that having a charismatic personality and a healthy dose of self-esteem is really beautiful. So, what is the real price we have to pay for beauty?

Beauty is about being your unique self and not being afraid to preserve your own integrity. It is about being supportive to those you love and to those who need you. It is about being the first to laugh at yourself when life doesn't go exactly your way. It is about recognizing your faults and realizing that it is these little flaws that make you stand out. It is about standing up for what you believe in. It is about not being afraid to say, "I love you." It's about having sympathy towards others. It is about having pride and not settling for less than you deserve. It is about realizing what you want out of life and fighting for it.

Unlike your appearance, these qualities will always be yours. Why is it that we still let something so ephemeral define who we are and what we are worth? Why are we all following the same beauty standard? If we give up all of the things that make us unique as an individual, we become nothing but a part of the crowd. We become mediocre. We become faceless. We become ugly.

The ugliest things in life are those that are artificial, that have no soul. Being raised in a society that promotes unrealistic standards of beauty, falsities are advertised and praised everywhere. As a result, we've created an artificial model of what beauty "should be”, which has nothing to do with reality. Are these false standards just distracting us, aiding in leading us further from the truth? We have become a society that just follows someone else's lead. Is that what life is really about?

What influences us in our decisions to overhaul or upgrade our looks and wardrobe from time to time?  Printed press and TV media sell a certain image by request of fashion corporations and easily influence people. We became a walking ad signs for companies that use us a free promo material. We are being convinced that we are incomplete if we are not wearing Gucci jeans or are not buy an Esteem Lauder cleanser, and we are just following the rules of the game.

The dictionary defines beauty as "the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit." It's up to you to agree or disagree with this definition. Nevertheless, in this eternal pursuit of beauty and perfection don't forget to be an individual. Be confident with who you are. Don't let some small parameter of what you should be define you. Wear a short skirt or walk barefooted in the rain, laugh out loud or cry - don't be afraid to do what you feel like...