It’s always a good thing when you’re comfortable in your own skin. However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t hurt when someone, or in the case of The Young and the Restless’ Courtney Hope (Sally), a group of people, has something negative to say about your appearance. The CBS soap star took to Instagram and posted a beautiful photo of herself, laughing and clearly happy — both inside and o

“Gratitude shapes the lens through which you view your world. It can be so easy to get caught up in what we don’t have or what we’re trying to achieve, that sometimes we forget to take note of all that we already have surrounding us and within us,” Hope stated while looking forward to what’s yet to come, to which she plans to be “dedicated to gratefulness, love and joy!” She also shared that her goal is to “expand my peace and joy daily by focusing on the good and all I have.”

That’s as good a plan as any and it would be beneficial for those who aren’t feeling as positive about life to try to follow. However, the post took a different turn when Hope revealed that “a couple of women (and one teenager)” recently commented on her laugh lines and asked why she hadn’t gotten them corrected and if she planned to in the future. “I can’t speak to the future, but this blew my mind because I thought, ‘Why would I want to get rid of or hide the proof of a lifetime of laughter and happy memories?’ To each their own, truly, and I believe people should do whatever they feel to make themselves happy and confident,” she shared then admitted, “But to have someone suggest I take them away for beauty sake, especially without me prompting, it really hurt my heart for some reason.”

Hope wanted to be clear that the hurt didn’t stem from those people being critical but because, “They were asking me to get rid of things that represent my favorite parts about myself and what I feel like this world needs more of, joy and laughter.” And the fact that this whole conversation started because laugh lines are not “pretty…”

“Laugh lines are some of my favorite parts about people in general and I want to know what brings people joy,” she shared and again stated how grateful she was for “every laugh and happy memory” and how she refused to “hide that light from the world.” The actress also wished for everyone reading her post, “I hope you never hide your light either, especially because of what someone else believes.”

Very well put — and bravo to Hope for sharing not only her hurt over the comments but her encouragement for others to never allow these types of things to darken their light in life!