Your Life IS The Beautiful Life

aka…See It When You Believe It…

What is beauty to you? Is it a place, like the ocean or mountains? Is it a feeling, like love or fulfillment? Is it a person, like your spouse or child? What about a person you’ve never met, like a model or a movie star? Do you find beauty in a thing, like a great work of art or technology? Notice that you already see beauty in so many different forms…but realize that the beauty that persists is based upon authenticity and love.

The last time you were at a beach, was it beautiful? What about a creek in the forest — was it beautiful? Which one was more beautiful? It’s hard to say, isn’t it? They’re both beautiful in their own way. Would you rather the beach looked like the forest or the forest looked like the beach? Comparison to identify which is more beautiful is pointless. Each feature or force of nature is authentically beautiful, simply as it is, and for what it is. Nature expresses with authenticity, confidence and purpose.

Comparison of Self to others is a path to fear and distraction. When you are living into purpose and being mindful in the moment, there is no comparison. You have come to help. You will create the authentic value that is a combination of your unique approach, your experience and skill, and the truth you see in the situation. Your authentic nature is that of an essential expression of the Universe. Your authentic Self is a force of nature, which expresses with authenticity, confidence and purpose. This is the beauty that persists.

How do you define beauty? Is it something about a person, place or thing? How can beauty about a thing be the same as beauty about a place or a person? Can you describe what beauty means to you? Does beauty change and evolve?

To truly appreciate beauty is to accept beauty. When we accept beauty, we accept that it will evolve…not lose its beauty, but change. Both the blue sky and the storm sky are beautiful in their own ways.

As human beings we undergo constant change, at both the level of society as well as that of the individual. We are not static, therefore beauty is not static. Depending on where you are, who you are, how you live and when you live, beauty changes — as it has throughout the ages and across the world. What is beautiful will change for you, from the age you are in this moment to the age you will be in the future, just like it changes from one age of society to the next. Beauty may be frozen as an image or an icicle, but what is beautiful in this moment brims full of dynamic energy and potential.

If you want to live a beautiful or “beauty-filled” life, surround yourSelf with beauty. You must deeply appreciate beauty in order to be surrounded by it. Practice non-attachment to accept and appreciate beauty. When you attach to a static idea of beauty, you close yourSelf to the potential of the delightful and unexpected…because you set your expectations. Whether it’s the fear of loss when beauty changes and evolves…or the fear that someone else will possess the beauty instead of you…attachment to an expectation will carry you away from the current moment — where the greatest beauty is always found. Live into purpose, be mindful in the moment, and open to the delightful and unexpected.

Is beauty alive for you? Do you see beauty today exactly as you did 10 or 20 years ago? When you look at a Picasso or the work of an artist you love, does it reflect different feelings and impressions depending upon where you are in your life? If you were to attach to an expectation of that great artwork you love, would you cut yourSelf off from the potential of dynamic and full appreciation of that work?

Likewise, what would happen if you spent your life detached from, or in ignorance of, that which was not beautiful and fascinating to you 10 or 20 years ago? Have your tastes changed over the years? Have you come to like or even love that which you did not care for at first?

Just as the ideals of beauty for particular eras of music, art, fashion, literature, architecture, etc., have all had their day (for example, the recent eras of the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s); these same eras have all passed out of and back into vogue. They’ve been criticized as too conservative, too hippy, or too flashy…and yet we’ve seen ourSelves and our society embrace these eras after rejecting them. When we ‘attach’ to or ‘detach’ from, we close ourSelves to potential. Become mindful in the moment and open yourSelf to beauty, inspiration and Serendipity.

Is your hero beautiful? Is your child beautiful? What is it that makes them so? Is it their heart? Is it their deeds? Is it their relentless joy? Is it their hairstyle? (It’s probably not their hairstyle.)

The trappings do not define the epitome of beauty in your life. Over time, it is always the authentic nature of the person, place or thing. Just as you are an authentic expression of the Universe, so is everything else. There are no barriers…between your spirit and your mind; between your mind and your body; between your body and all else. It’s all one — all the way out, and all the way in. Living into purpose and being mindful in the moment open you to the experience. Do you do what it takes to remain open to your authentic Self, an essential part of the Universe?

Accept authentic nature. It is your integrity, your connection to larger meaning, and your purposeful creation of value. You have value to give in every situation, straight from the original source — and it will come back to you as long as you are open to it. Creation of value for others is creation of value for the Universe, and so value for yourSelf. Know your authentic Self to know the depth of our interconnection. Love yourSelf to love others. Open to the delightful and unexpected that is all around.

What does your beautiful life look like? Do you imagine creating value and impact in your work? Do you picture being surrounded by the people you love and who love you? Would you discuss the subjects and read the books that interest you the most with these people? Would your home be tidy? Do you envision a life in the mountains, or does a city hold more appeal for you, because you’d be closer to a cultural center with museums?

Start today. Do you want to be a more prolific photographer? Then take a new picture each day. You can create the authentic value yourSelf each day — whether it’s with an iPhone or a Nikon D300. Do you want to publish and share the value? Share your picture on any social platform. The opportunity is here — you are already enough — open to it.

Your beautiful life is within your reach. The things that matter most are already some part of your life. Attaching to a goal of jealously procuring or possessing more things or money, simply to possess, is not about a beautiful life — it’s about acting in fear due to expectations or future ‘what if’s’. You should do all the work necessary to plan and prepare — but this work can be done in the moment, without fear, and you are most creative and insightful without the distraction that comes from fear. When you attach to expectation, you can be carried away by fear of the loss of that thing to which you’ve attached. Live into purpose and be mindful in the moment via gratitude and appreciation.

Want what you have. Open to your beautiful life. It’s all around you already.

As we grow to love someone, that which we originally regarded as imperfection, frequently becomes that which we love the most. What makes someone different is what makes them uniquely and authentically themSelves.

Who wakes you up each morning, dresses you, feeds you, shuttles you where you need to go, works to keep fed and sheltered? Did you realize someone’s looking out for you? Love and celebrate yourSelf like you’d love and celebrate a caregiver whose love inspires them to give what they have in the hopes of your wellbeing.

Accept yourSelf to realize your authentic nature as part of the larger whole. You are an essential part of the Universe, all that is. You and the Universe unfold together.

No one knows yourSelf as well as you do. If you can love yourSelf, you unlock the ability to deeply love others for who they are…your family, friends, colleagues…the relationships you cherish. Surrounding yourSelf with love is surrounding yourSelf with beauty. This is your beautiful life — right here, right now.

Live into purpose, be mindful in the moment, open to the delightful and unexpected, and build on your beautiful life. This moment is all there is…don’t allow yourSelf to get carried away from its beauty by fear or anxiety. You can react to beauty in fear (of loss or missing out) or celebration (with gratitude) — it’s your choice. Start now.

Faith!