Focus on the IMPRESSION rather than the appearance

Kanye West said it best "the prettiest people do the ugliest things." This is because the outward appearance of a person can be beautiful even if their IMPRESSION is hideous. Appearance differs from IMPRESSION in the fact that it is outward while our IMPRESSION is inward, not only in its reflection of our inward self but also in what it cause others to inwardly think of us. A lot of us settle for only making our appearance pleasant because it tends to take less effort than working on our IMPRESSION, which is determined by our character. Proverbs 16:32 says "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." This tells us that our IMPRESSION is the most important aspect our lives. It is the true us; the things we value, our attitude, and inclinations. Focusing on our appearance will allow us to settle for merely looking like we are doing something, but placing priority on the IMPRESSION we make will hold us accountable for actually painting the very picture we are trying to portray. In Proverbs 22:1 it says that "A good name is more desirable than riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." In other words, a good IMPRESSION is something that money can't buy, it's priceless, but for everything else there's Mastercard LOL! Our appearance only takes us as far as the eyes can see, but the IMPRESSION we make on others affects how they feel in their hearts about us. Many of us prejudge others and form opinions of the type of person they are just from their appearance. The type of clothes they wear, piercings, tattoos, weight, etc are all things that lead to us create an idea of who a person is. I'm sure laziness is one of the first attributes associated with someone who is overweight, whereas being professional is a trait often attributed to people who dress the part. The funny is, neither one is necessarily true. That overweight person could have the misfortune of inheriting a thyroid condition that affects their weight, and the person in the suit could be lazy, tardy, and does not follow any moral or ethical code of conduct. But, if we allow people to make an IMPRESSION on us it will eliminate any preconceived notions we have about them. We can make the mistake of passing up on people or things because they do not look the part and miss out blessings reaching for "fool's gold." Time is the tester of all things and if you give anyone of thing enough of it, its true character will surface. So be sure focus more on the IMPRESSION than the appearance.