This is a tough one. Women are so hard on themselves when it comes to appearance. I have days when I feel beautiful, but there are other days when I look in the mirror and think, "Yikes! I look like a chimpanzee!" Sometimes I see a photo of myself that just makes me cringe and that feels awful.

I guess I always feel most beautiful when I'm doing something I enjoy and something that I'm good at. It makes me feel powerful and I feel like I'm shining at times like that.

I also feel beautiful when I'm with my 5 year-old niece. She looks at me like I'm the most beautiful woman in the world. She calls herself a princess and tells me I'm the queen. She loves brushing my hair and tells everyone she's going to look like me when she grows up.

On the surface, I find that taking the time to do my hair and my make-up and putting some thought into what I wear makes me feel more attractive. When I take that time for myself, it makes me feel that I'm worth the time and I'm treating myself well, so that makes me feel beautiful.

I was a pretty little girl and my parents told me I was pretty, but they always made an effort to tell me I'm smart and I'm strong and I'm talented too. I had a cousin whose mother only praised her for her looks and that cousin has very low self-esteem. My mum always said that physically beautiful women who feel that their looks are all they have going for them have a very difficult time when they start to see the signs of age and their physical beauty fading. So, she made sure that I was always aware of the things that REALLY matter -- like who I am inside. I'm very grateful to her for that.