M.I.A. – have you heard of her? I vaguely knew of her until last week. I saw her on the Grammys a few years back…VERY pregnant and performing her music which feels to me like hip hop meets reggae…but I am not very musically inclined. I don’t listen to her. I couldn’t tell you one of her songs but I will tell you I recently discovered a story about her that inspired me and that I believe can inspire girls everywhere.

Here’s what I found:

M.I.A. is a philanthropist and humanitarian outside of her musical career. In 2009, People wanted to place her on their annual list of the world’s most beautiful people but she was the first person in the magazine’s history to decline, stating “Mother Teresa was never on the list.” 

Every year People Magazine does a a most beautiful people list. She DECLINED that list. She essentially said the most beautiful person I know is a woman who choose to give her life away for others. That’s REAL beauty. And that is the only beautiful list that she wanted to be on.

What can any and every girl learn from her?

To redefine beautiful. It’s not about making a list or about looking good on the outside. It’s about how we treat people and how we serve others. That’s real beauty!

What else can we learn from her?