Beautiful World
"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." - Rachel Carson. Nature is our greatest example of beauty. It is all incredible: the stars, the ocean, the forests, the rocks, and the weather. I can be entertained for a considerable amount of time just by hanging my head over the edge of a streambank and watching an amazing natural story unfold before my eyes. The beauties of nature do not care who you are, what you look like, or how much money you have. They are there for all who notice them to enjoy. We can use what we see as our inspiration to create our own beautiful little world within our homes, yards, and public spaces. "There's no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this." - unknown.
What we see, though, depends on our perspective and focus. Every day, we are bombarded by the ugly parts of living on this earth. The news loves to cover homelessness, pollution, civil unrest, war, economic woes, workplace problems, and domestic violence. There are reality shows that go into people's homes to show how dirty their living spaces are, cop shows to show how badly humans act, cameras in businesses to catch bad employees, and televised court hearings that air people's problems. If we quit giving these ugly topics attention, then perhaps they would make better content, but for some reason, we are fascinated by the dark. "Even in the material world, you will find that if you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see."- Uncle Iroh from Avatar. If we do not notice and support beautiful, creative endeavors and content, I am afraid that they will disappear.
"Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it did not matter." - Roger Scruton. I live in a town where there are many historic buildings. It is amazing to me the amount of unique craftsmanship and attention to detail that many older homes were given. If you have ever driven through a modern subdivision where the homes were all built by the same builder, you will see why I love a home with personality. This goes for our public buildings as well. They seem to be quickly built for functionality and the lowest cost, but aesthetics do not seem to be considered essential. They do serve a purpose, if nothing more than to teach us to appreciate what is beautiful. "The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater." - J.R.R. Tolkien.
We need the contrast of the attractive and the unattractive to know what perfect looks like, but perfect is not always beautiful. A beautiful thing is never perfect. - Egyptian Proverb. If I have a handful of river rocks, I can enjoy examining each one, turning it over to see the shape on each side, polishing it, and holding it up to the light to see the colors- until I find my favorite. There might not be a perfect one in the whole group, but I do not feel as though my time was wasted. They inspire me to creatively think about all the things they could be used for. They make me excited for the future.
I can also take a handful of perfectly manufactured Styrofoam packing peanuts and be bored by the time I've looked at the third one. Those who are truly skilled at finding beauty will be able to see it in anything or even in things that are hated by others: the iridescent shine on a fly's eyes, the workmanship of a spider's web, the cheerful dandelion growing in the lawn, and even the perfect packing peanuts. "Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing." - Camille Pissarro. Given that we cannot always control our environment, this skill is invaluable if you want a happy life.
A happy life is a beautiful life. It is not without its share of problems, but one where you can find the silver lining in those problems. The habit of seeing our lives as being filled with beauty will change how we think, how we act, and how we look. To become beautiful, you must see it all around you. "I promise if you keep searching for everything beautiful in this world, you will eventually become it." - Tyler Kent White.
I often have relationship advice pop up in my YouTube feed. Advice by hard-faced women and Machiavellian men on how I can avoid becoming a victim if I just worry about myself and do not get invested in others. How setting strict boundaries with people and not letting anyone know what is going on in my personal life will keep me safe. I understand why this advice is given, and I understand there may be a season of your life where it can save you, but at what cost? Somehow, I do not think that the world would be as beautiful if it protected itself constantly, if it manipulated and controlled everything. There is a certain amount of vulnerability in something beautiful; it does not have to try, it just is. Maybe we could learn to follow its example. "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place." - Kurt Vonnegut. I hope that you love who you want to love, even if you get hurt. I hope that you are dazzled by the beauty of this magnificent world every day and that you become the beauty that you find.
Love and Hope,
Big Sky Baby