Beauty isn’t only in the eye of a passive beholder as a way of appreciation. It is in the hand of the creator too in a more active way. We can do what we do, whatever it is, with a dedication to beauty. We can do something or change something to make it beautiful.
When I say beauty I mean to go beyond physical perfection, whether it is a woman, a word, a garden or a piece of furniture. I do believe some are more sensitive to beauty than others. I crave it and will look for it wherever I am, whatever I do. Every time I am relieved to find something yet again, that has a beauty of its own. It can be two children holding hands, lovers on a bike together, birds flying in perfect formation but one, my cup of tea on my favourite Moroccan silver plate, my love’s small wrinkles around his eyes, an old lady feeding the ducks, my mother’s hands, the shadow of a candle on the wall, the way the light comes through the opening in the curtains, a twinkle in the eyes of my children. Those are moments of passive appreciation, of nourishment for the soul. But there is also beauty to be created in the way we approach others, the words we use, how we take a turn when we are driving, how we hold our coffee cup, what we post on Facebook. ‘Beauty is an overarching, guiding concern in life: when we say that something is beautiful we are saying that it manages to integrate and embody qualities that are dear to us…Appreciation is indeed part of it - appreciation of, say, kindness, persistence, intelligence, skill and insight - but moments of beauty happen when we bring qualities we value to life.’ Beauty can come to life out of everything that is done with love, attention and dedication and that insight is vital. At times we can feel helpless and get dragged into a state of desperation when we spend too much time looking at everything that lacks beauty. The news, injustice, politics and immorality can suck the life out of our visions. I have decided that the greatest form of activism is to get up, look around and see where you can make a difference in adding beauty to what is around you. You will find that beauty is so much more than an appearance. It inspires us on all levels to do the same. To look out for beauty and to contribute to adding it whenever and wherever we can. How can you bring more beauty into your bit of the world? Would love to hear your comments! This article is inspired by The Book of Life which aims to be the curation of the best and most helpful ideas in the area of emotional life and I can highly recommend for your regular dosage of beauty. (non-affiliate link)
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Marina is...Inspired by everything that matters and convinced that creative living is on top of the list. Archives
April 2020
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