Copyright 1999 Susanne M. Alexander
The Shifting Times

MINING AND POLISHING THE GEMS
by Susanne M. Alexander

Inner Beauty consists of those qualities of mind, spirit, heart, and soul that require time, care and love to discover. Sometimes, and in some people, these qualities are so clear, strong and developed that they shine through the physical body and are visible, at least in part. More often, however, we have to patiently and persistently mine deep for the gems, and then carefully, lovingly polish them-both in ourselves and in others.

Susanne M. Alexander

I looked around the circle at the diverse group we had gathered for the weekend--different ages, races, backgrounds, and genders. It was now the end of our time together learning to be creative teachers of children. We had just done an activity of writing each other's positive qualities on bright-colored, diamond-shaped cards taped to our backs. This was our first look at our "gems," the qualities we had discovered inside each other.

As facilitator, I then asked each person to read the qualities we honored about them out loud to the group. They hadn't expected this-it felt too personal, too private to share them. To those practicing the virtue of humility, it almost felt wrong.

My co-facilitator and I let the discomfort be voiced, we listened carefully to their reasons, but then we started the process. Every person smiled and laughed and blossomed as they read in joy and surprise the gems we saw in them.

We talked about the damage of criticism and put-downs. We reminded them about the spiritual principle of looking for the positive in others-".look always at the good and not at the bad. If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one; and if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten." (1) We told them they must polish and practice their virtues and let them shine.

These gems are the gifts we give to others and to God. How can we develop them unless we recognize which ones we have, which ones we're good at, which ones need to be developed? These are the qualities of light within us that shine and illumine the world. And when we let others know that we see their gems, their self-respect increases, and they are encouraged to continue to develop themselves. Self-respect is one of the keys to spiritual happiness.

Have you ever stopped to think about what we take with us when we die? What goes with our souls on this next stage in our lives? What if the negative stays behind, and we take only our virtues with us? What if we need this inner beauty to be our gift to God and our means of doing the work of the angels in the next world-just as we had to develop fingers and toes in the womb world for use here?

We say, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." It's true that we each see different things in others, and we each have different standards for "beautiful." However, we also each have choices about what beautiful qualities to mine, polish and develop more fully-and then letting them shine!

(1) 'Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, by J. E. Esslemont, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 800-999-9019, page 83
Winner of Honorable Mention, Byline Magazine Inspirational Writing Contest, 1998