Inner beauty radiates happiness, not controversy

By Djoewariah Poorwo Soedarmo

JAKARTA (JP): The recent controversy over Indonesia's participation in the Miss Universe contest finally ended after President Soeharto firmly stated that such contests, in which winners are selected based on appearance and body measurements, are not for Indonesians.

It seems that the requirement of wearing a bathing suit in front of a packed audience for assessment by a jury put an end to the whole matter. Wearing a bathing suit for such a purpose is considered counter to the Indonesian concept of decency.

If the person wearing the swimming suit were at a swimming pool ready to take a dive, nobody would be disturbed. Even if it had been a bikini, not many people would have cared either. One could say that it was the wrong outfit at the wrong place. Fortunately, it's all over now.

Naturally, there are people who are happy with the proclaimed ban and those who are not. Those in favor of the ban may argue that beauty is God's gift. It must not be contested, let alone evaluated in order to get a prize. On the contrary, people who oppose the ban think it wise to organize or join such a competition. The winner could raise funds to help the needy, or the elderly. Aren't those good deeds? It could also boost the country's tourist industry.

Well, you're free to take whichever side.

However, I was just thinking. How about viewing beauty from a specific angle?

It's interesting and it concerns us women, anyway.

The kind of beauty I wish to introduce here is not the monopoly of a few selected women. It doesn't bank on beautiful eyes or legs.

On the contrary, it's a beauty that each of us can -- even must -- try to achieve. It comes from within and is founded on sheer happiness and love which -- strangely enough -- is reflected in one's face, changing its lines and expression in such a miraculous fashion that it becomes beautiful in a unique, very personal way.

You don't believe me?

Just look at the young mother who is joyfully cuddling her little baby. Her face radiates love, gratitude and happiness to such an extent that it makes her very pretty. Or observe a woman in love. Her beauty is at her best.

Each of us can achieve this kind of beauty. We even ought to consider it our duty to develop it throughout our life for the sake of our husband and children and our environment. A happy smile or a hearty laugh can work wonders, and it's contagious.

It makes you beautiful, too

One is aware of the value of beauty if they find themselves amid those who are suffering. Observe the expressions of misery on the sagging faces of people whose houses are being pulled down, or whose dwellings are washed away by relentless floods. No smiles or laughter anywhere. No beauty.

How can we achieve this inner beauty which is capable of miraculously changing the expression of one's face? A beauty that doesn't need washing off at night? We can either write a whole book on it, or we can make it short.

On this occasion, we've got no choice but to keep it concise.

First of all, we can't look radiant and beautiful without being healthy, physically as well as mentally. Health and beauty go hand in hand.

In order to achieve ultimate bodily health, we must nourish our body with the appropriate kinds of food. After all, it's food that has made our body look as it is now. Hence, don't let a day go by without providing your body with appropriate nourishment -- the adequate amounts of grains, fish, meat, lots of greens, fruit and milk -- if you can afford it. In brief, keep hold of our slogan Healthy Four, Perfect Five as I've mentioned before, and I guarantee you're on the safe side.

Further, see to it that you live in a well-ventilated environment, so that you keep your lungs healthy. Engage in some form of exercise every day, and get a good rest too. Our intricately built body is meant to move around a lot. A sedentary life only creates fat, and as such doesn't make us beautiful.

In olden times, our ancestors were constantly on the move. Men roamed the woods in search of game to be slaughtered and women had lots to do in the house and its surroundings. Thus, they had lots of exercise. Compared to them, women of nowadays are just spoiled brats. We only need to turn a knob to get the light or a gas stove burning, turn a tap to get water running and so on.

If we fail to exercise, chances are that we will become overweight, which doesn't make us beautiful.

Of course, we've got to take care of our metal health, too. How can we cultivate a happy smile and a pretty face if we aren't able to cope with our mental disorders? It's easier said than done, though, but it's worth trying.

First, we must do our best to be optimistic. Never lose hope, and trust that every cloud has a silver lining. Being religious helps a lot.

In dark and bitter moments of life, we tend to only pay full attention to our unhappiness. We simply get drowned in it and do nothing to get out of it. We're in deep distress and turn a blind eye to the rest of this beautiful world. Negative feelings crowd our mind: Anger, jealousy, betrayal, discontent, a surge of vengeance and whatnot.

If at this point you take the trouble to look in the mirror, you won't recognize yourself. You've lost all yesterday's beauty. Those bad feelings have carved ugly lines on your face, and left a horrible expression on it.

You don't want to keep that expression, do you? Get rid of those negative feelings. Wash your face, put on some make-up, play outdoors, pay attention to the beautiful flowers in the garden. Smile, smile, and smile! Do things that make you feel useful to others. It's amazing how these steps can alleviate your unhappiness. If you're lucky, you might even come to the conclusion that life isn't so bad after all. And now you've gotten back your pretty smile.

Let's make time for introspection and find our precious inner beauty.