We live in a culture where beauty is just another commodity and our things own us instead of the other way around. Things to fix us, things to make us better, things to make us beautiful. Of course, when we focus only on external sources of improvement, we are reduced to mere things, as well. Ours may be a culture that sanctions shopping as the highest good and considers a perfect appearance of paramount importance, but despite the crush of it all, I hope you'll stop for this moment to remember:

You're already beautiful.

Visit YouAreBeautiful to learn more, and forward this post to all your friends who need to be reminded that they're very beautiful, indeed. To our male readers, please make your mom's, sister's, daughter's, girlfriend's or wife's day and do the same.

This Week's Featured Photographer: *Zara