What does it mean to be a beautiful Filipina? Is it about having fair skin? Or is beauty, like they say, in the eyes of the beholder?

Beauty may be subjective and relative, its definition is never absolute. But we know what beauty is when we see one, because it attracts. It compels. And we are always drawn to beautiful people.

So what makes a Filipina beautiful in the eyes of many?

Being a beautiful Filipina means loving yourself inside and out. Self-care is transformative, as it teaches you how to be kind to yourself and, therefore, allowing yourself to feel worthy.

Our perception of self-worth has been tightly knit with our confidence. You are in control of our mind, so if you beat yourself up with negative thoughts about yourself, then you’d end up crushing your self-esteem.

So chin up and tell yourself that you are worthy and beautiful. Do you remember a time when you looked your absolute best and you felt unstoppable? I want you to channel that feeling every time you are bogged down by society’s shallow perception of beauty. And when a negative thought about yourself begins creeping in, halt it before it snowballs into a full-blown self-pity.

A truly beautiful Filipina knows how to take care of herself—her physical, mental, and spiritual health. She is also patient with herself. She forgives herself. She accepts that she is not perfect, allows room for mistakes, and is always open to self-improvement.

A beautiful Filipina is humble but confident. She believes in her abilities but is never arrogant. She acknowledges her weaknesses and capitalizes on her strengths, and she always strives to maximize her fullest potential.

I also believe that a beautiful Filipina never fears adversity. She faces her problems and never tries to escape them. She sees problems as challenges and not hindrances. And when in pain, she allows herself to cry but she never surrenders.

The beautiful Filipina also chooses to see the good in others. This is why a beautiful Filipina has a wonderful relationship with almost everybody in her sphere. Kindness is free, and we should practice this more often.

She also uses her progressiveness to encourage others. Always remember that empowered women empower other women. Start by showing women around you how much you appreciate them, give them a sincere compliment, and simply tell them how proud you are of who they’ve become and what they’ve accomplished.

By encouraging the women around you to use their voice for a cause, you’ll see that real change is a team effort.

Be an influencer—and I don’t mean a social media influencer that ties their confidence to the number of likes and followers they get. But someone who inspires others on a genuine level, driven not by the need for validation or recognition, but by a deep desire to make a difference in people’s lives.

A beautiful Filipina is also intelligent, educated, sophisticated, and well-mannered. She is knowledgeable and wise. She is up to date with current events. She is always curious, open-minded, and interested in the world.

I believe that beauty can be found in every woman; you just have to seek for it inside you and let it shine.

Make this your guiding principle: Embrace your inner beauty and use it to inspire others, admire strong women, celebrate different types of beauty, empower women by treating them with compassion, and applaud women who have made their aspirations a reality.