We are reminded that "a face has launched a thousand ships," according to Christopher Marlowe referring to Helen in Homer’s Odyssey. Yet what most of us forget is that Helen was 12 years old! What child isn’t precious and beautiful (and certainly worth sending out a rescue mission for) at age 12? No disrespect, but I would have launched a similar mission had my son been kidnapped, regardless of what his face looked like.

Fast forward, here we are, still obsessed with youthful beauty a million years later (give or take a few million). So much so that a major portion of our economy is driven by our deep fear of being ugly and unlovable. Sadly, despite our knowledge that fecundity is at the root of this propaganda, most of us have been hypnotized to believe that we must alter the natural course of time—hack up, needle and bleed our faces—in order to avoid this possible dejection or, eventually, reality.

But what if I told you that your attempts to reverse the aging process, while making you apbeauty lies within, Instead of Botox, softening lines and wrinkles, youthful beauty, fear of being ugly and unlovable, pear younger, might also force you to repeat life lessons already braved (and perhaps barely survived) in your teens, twenties and so on? What if erasing your crow’s feet or laugh lines actually sucks the joy right out of you? Or having that nose job could radically shift your ability to live a rich and abundant life? (Ever wonder why Barbra Streisand didn’t get one?) That altering your hairline could change the course of your life forever…and not in a good way? According to expert Jean Haner’s book, The Wisdom of Your Face, every line and wrinkle, mole and crevasse on your face actually means something important, and before you go erasing it you may want to consider the potential consequences.

Chinese face reading is an ancient branch of Chinese medicine, which teaches that you are born with a personal blueprint that is yours and yours alone, and that this inner architecture can be read in your outer design—the features of your face.

Your face reflects your true inner spirit, who you came here to be and what you came here to learn. The wisdom written there explains why you think, feel, and behave as you do, and answers two of the most important questions you need to ask yourself in life: Who am I and what is my calling?

"Each of your features has a message for you about who you really are inside, the kind of work that will bring you joy, what relationships will be fulfilling for you, and most of all, how to feel compassion for yourself and everyone you encounter."

While being attractive is nice and has some benefits, someone wanting to hump you isn’t really one of them, is it? Never mind the harshness of that ego reality, the truth is there will always be someone younger and more attractive than you, so why not hedge your bets and spend more attention dealing with the inner work as—surprise—says Jean Haner. "Doing the inner work will soften all those lines and wrinkles naturally as your inner radiance shines through!" Think of Juliette Binoche, a natural beauty unafraid to furrow her brow or raise her eyebrows and show us her badges of honor striped across her forehead. Or, heck, Mother Theresa; while not known for being a ship launcher per se, she had a face whose radiance and devotion none of us will ever forget.

So next time you consider sticking a needle in your third eye, take a deep breath and ask yourself, who defines your worth? What will looking younger really do for you? When will you be ready to get older? How do you want to be remembered?

"I get we all want to look great, but I would choose a face covered with laugh lines, a furrowed brow and whatever map that reflects life well lived over a paralyzed and joyless face any day!" Michael, 49, CA

Why not join the ranks of women who are giving up the needle and deciding to grow into maturity more naturally…or as naturally as we can stand? You’ll be setting a great example of defying gravity for your daughters and generations to come, and in the meantime you’ll also be a sending a message to our consumer society that banks on us feeling unattractive and insecure so they can drive profits into THEIR pockets! Why not take a stand and be beautiful from the inside out?

We would also love to hear your natural secrets on how you stay healthy and glowing! Send them to info@maryannelive.com and we’ll post them on our site. Bye for now, my beauties!