Musings On Beauty, With A Sense Of Pride

Beauty makes its presence known when we experience the message from inside ourselves, “Stop. That’s it. It’s perfect.” There is no excess and no deficiency in beauty.

Beauty is the perfection of living, exposing that which is not beautiful. Beauty beckons us in all areas of life to enjoy who we are and what each moment gives us. Beauty has shown me that it requires great presence, patience, and power to engage with what is good. It takes me to my truth. The beauty we see in others is our own beauty; the beauty we see in ourselves is others’ beauty. Beauty exists in its own right, but it is our perception of it that brings it to life. n
I Have Learned n... that in the moment of recognizing beauty there is no longing. Fortunately, I have learned to see that beauty exists everywhere in the Natural World. When I cannot see beauty, I find it deadening. How often we can be blinded from seeing the beauty surrounding us by the addicting distractions of impatience and anxiety. I find that denying needs can so easily prevent us from assessing, seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, and feeling—the stepping-stones to experiencing beauty. Grasping for material acquisitions and personal preoccupations can block our ability to experience and create beauty. When I shed my obstacles to perceiving beauty, I can clearly see the Natural World’s presence and how it nurtures and sustains all my senses and need for beauty. This need to recognize beauty may be most profound during difficult times in my life. However, it nurtures and sustains my well-being at all times. Looking for beauty shakes me out of monotony, and causes me to see every day with new freshness, ethics, and dignity.

Musings on Beauty, With a Sense of Pride
Pride, unlike shame, invites all of our being to come forward. Awareness of our own beauty enhances our pride. How were you nurtured to enjoy beauty while you were growing up? How did the adults in your life inspire your appreciation of beauty? What beauty now inspires and moves you? How do you bring beauty into your life and to those around you? What do you deem as beautiful? What state is your mind and body in when you most enjoy beauty in your life?

Encouragement
To find beauty, practice doing what brings you love. Look for your similarities to others, rather nthan your differences. May beauty be the constant companion that excites and nurtures you. May its presence be in your breath, attention, choices, and stillness. May your need for beauty exceed your anxiety and exhilarate the goodness in your life.

My commitment to experiencing beauty and sharing it with others is ...

The above is an excerpt from Welcome Home to Yourself: A therapist and photographer explore the meaning of life through individual lenses—a mother and son’s journey published in 2008 by Relationships Matter Publishing Inc. www.suzannekyra.comn