I can honor their values while also asking myself harder questions. What makes me feel alive? What makes me feel like myself? Not what makes me look good or seem virtuous, but what actually makes my soul sing? 🎵

I think the best thing for me is to start combining what I've learned—the soul-centered values of my upbringing—with my own exploration and discovery. I don't have to reject one for the other. I can be grounded in my traditions while also becoming my own person. 💫

Maybe beauty really does start from within, but I need to define what "within" means for me specifically. Not a cookie-cutter version of inner beauty, but my unique flavor of it. And maybe sometimes that includes wearing a nice dress or caring about my appearance, because that's part of honoring myself too. 👗

What would happen if I gave myself permission to grow beyond what was taught to me, while still respecting where I came from? 🤨