Day 18 – Where do you find beauty?

 

I feel like I’ve read today’s message before, about opening our eyes to the beauty in our worlds. Breathnach’s theory is that as we learn to simplify our existence (mentally and physically), we crave beauty more than ever.

We don’t need to create this beauty because it already exists — we simply need to open our eyes and savor the beauty around us. And Breathnach’s focus seems to be on the physical beauty, things we find pleasing to the eye or senses. From “Simple Abundance” by Sarah Ban Breathnach:

“Walk to a gallery on your lunch hour and meditate upon a beautiful painting….. Gaze into the faces of those you love, set the table with care…. It is in the details of life that beauty is revealed, sustained and nurtured.”

To me, it’s that last sentence that rings true. I mean, the soldier stationed at some remote outpost in Afghanistan, for example, has to look much harder to find beauty in his or her physical surroundings than a park ranger whose job it is to hike wilderness trails in a national park.

So we can find beauty in the way nature has colored the stones cut from the harsh mountain regions just as we find beauty in the stunning panoramic reflections of Mirror Lake.

What are your favorite ways to find beauty? A walk at the beach? A grown-up play date with friends? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

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My gratitude journal – five things that made me grateful yesterday.

• Reading the Sunday newspaper on my phone. Such cool technology.
• The beauty of watching fat snowflakes fall, knowing I wouldn’t have to drive in it.
• Macaroni and cheese–my mother’s recipe with cream of mushroom soup. Yum.
• Washers and dryers that clean my clothes with no effort on my part.
• A win by the Denver Broncos over the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Now Steelers fans, don’t go rabid on me. I think the Broncos have a better chance of beating the Patriots…and that’s what matters to me!)

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In late 2015 I started reading “Simple Abundance” a daily devotional by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It’s more than a devotional; it’s a guide to recognizing, and seeking, the joy in each moment. I haven’t quite reached that state, but I’m hopeful. I’ve decided to share my daily thoughts (and “gratitudes”) on this blog. I’d love to hear yours as well.