What is beauty

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful.

Welcome it:

in every face

in every sky

in every flower” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is beauty?

Beauty 1. A quality that pleases or delights the senses or mind

“People put so much pressure on women to be beautiful. There’s always a new diet to follow, a new beauty product to use, but is that what really defines beauty?” I was immediately intrigued by the words that I had just heard and it was at that moment when I looked up from what I was doing and saw Jessica Simpson in full high definition. Normally I would have reached for the remote and quickly changed the channel in an act of defiance against another celebrity drama series. But instead, I listened intently as she spoke about her travels across the world in an effort to find out what makes women in different cultures feel beautiful. I found myself grabbing for the clicker not to escape this celeb’s “reality” but instead, in an attempt to ensure that I heard every word that was spoken. As I continued watching, clips from the upcoming series were shown and I unexpectedly began to experience a wide range of emotions; anger, compassion, curiosity. Once again I reached for the channel changer as my mind circled with questions and I powered off the tube. This was by no means an act of defiance. I needed a moment to listen to my own thoughts and to answer the questions that had plagued my brain.

What is beauty? So often we define beauty by physical appearance. A runway model, a sunset, a bed of blooming roses, a newly built house. We tend to manage all of our focus on its beautiful appearance as an object rather than the beauty that develops from it. What do I mean by this? Well let me try and explain. When we define things by their physical characteristics we lose sight of what is really important; the actual beauty of the person, place or thing. The physical characteristics may make certain objects appealing to the eye, however I would argue that it is the characteristic traits that truly make these things beautiful. For instance, although a runway model may make the heads turn on some people, others may not see the individual as attractive, but the physical appeal of the model is unimportant when compared to her personality traits. For she is kind-hearted, slow to anger, empathetic and a loving mother of two. If we were to ask her children what they thought the most beautiful thing about their mother was, do you think that they would refer to her eyes or to her heart? As the definition reads in the dictionary, a quality that pleases or delights the mind, I would have to believe that emotional appeal has to have more pleasures than any physical appeal.

When I see a summer sun set my instinctual thought is how beautiful the colors of the sky are, however the more I look at the fading beams and the vibrant colors of the clouds, I begin to have an emotional reaction. I envision the warm rays wrapped around my arms, and I see the glow of the night sky beginning to settle in and I am reminded of my childhood. The sun that beams down and embraces me evokes the image of my father squeezed in between me and my sister, arms around our little bodies, as we would watch the night fall away under the stars and count the airplanes that passed. For it is no longer the image of the setting sun that I find beauty in, for now it is the feelings that I am reminded of and the times that I shared and cherish.

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye. But very few that will capture your heart… pursue those.” – unknown Flowers are so easy on the eyes and they have a physical appeal because they are so pretty on the outside, however some people do not see flowers as beautiful for the reminders that flowers bring. For many flowers are a reminder of death and funerals, for others the absence of flowers is a painful reminder in itself and for some it’s the death of the flower that brings unhappiness. I however love flowers. The way they can bring light to a room that seemed so dark before with their vibrant colors, and unique shape. How the sweet smell of their pollen can remind you of a spring afternoon rain shower, but the thing that I love most about flowers is their symbolism. Flowers are given in times of sorrow to not only remember but remind that although you have lost someone there are many others that you still have, in times of happiness and celebration, in a show of affection and love and sometimes for nothing at all, and with each flower that is given or received it is a reminder of the beautiful love that has blossomed between the planter and the gardener.

So often we tend to define beauty by comparison. The ocean is more beautiful than the desert, their Range Rover is more beautiful than my 4-Runner, a butterfly is more beautiful than a moth, their mansion is more beautiful than my shack, but as the cliché saying goes… beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For beauty by comparison is all about your attitude and the way that you look at life. Do you see the glass half full, or the glass half empty? By comparing everything, you will find that there are many people who have bigger and better things than you do but you’ll also come to realize that there are many people who you have bigger and better things than. So it’s all about a matter of perspective. When I think about this, one of the thoughts that comes to mind, is when people say “If I won the lottery I would buy the house of my dreams.” What is the house of your dreams entail? Usually they say it would be a beautiful mansion, but as I pondered what the word beauty meant to me in means of comparison I thought about the house of my dreams and I realized the house of my dreams would be home. My dream home would be filled with the aroma of home cooking, and the sounds of laughter and the feeling of love. Friends and family would fill the rooms and the sounds of people at play would be the music heard throughout. My dream home would be just that, a beautiful place because it is a home. No matter the size or the standard, it’s a place that all that encounter it do not call it a house they call it a home. “May all who enter as guests leave our home as friends.” – unknown

So what is it that really defines beauty? Is it the products that we use to try and better ourselves, or the makeup that we use to cover our flaws, is it the body image that portrays us or the picture that is captured at a given moment, or is it more than all of that? Maybe beauty is something that is organic and real. Something that cannot only be seen by the naked eye but that can be felt my the bare soul. Something that appeals to the heart and to the mind. Something that delights the senses and enriches it’s appearance by all that it entails. Beauty cannot be defined by one definition for beauty is defined in many ways, by many views for many reasons. BEAUTY is found within

As the month of March slowly reaches its end remind those around you how beautiful they are and remember to find beauty in everything that surrounds you!

"I never saw an ugly thing in my life; for let the form of an object be what it may -- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful." -- John Constable

"If you believe in victory, then victory will believe in you. Risk everything in the name of change and keep well away from everything that offers you a world of comfort. Talent is a universal gift, but it takes a lot of courage to use it. Don't be afraid to be the best." -- Paulo Coelho The Winner Stands Alone

As the clock slowly ticks away, the countdown begins. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR! You notice as you scan the room that all around you people are embracing one another with a celebratory hug, kiss, high five. It's a moment in time when what people encountered over the past year; the joy and laughter, the success and triumph, the hurt and sorrow, the fear and humility, melts away and the slate is suddenly wiped clean. If only for a split second, the idea of starting a new year brings about hope and possibility for the future. Suddenly the room goes silent as someone has interrupted the celebration to make a toast. With glasses raised in the air you toast to not only what lies ahead in the future but what you left behind in the past. As you take a sip of the champagne you drink in the moment with appreciation and subtle reflection. You celebrate who you are, who you've become and who you one day aspire to be. For me, this year was no different. I rang in the new year amongst some of my dearest friends and as we counted down the seconds, I reflected on the previous years.

Over the past few years I have undergone a lot of change. Some good, some bad, some easy, some hard, some willingly and some I had no control over, needless to say this change was both uplifting and encouraging for it has made me into who I am today and brought me closer to who I long to become. I started thinking about what 2010 could bring for me, but more importantly what I could bring to it. "To find happiness you must be willing to ignore what life owes you and think about what you owe life." -- Unknown As I pondered what it was that fuels my fire I immeadiately thought of writing. I use writing as a session of therapy. I find both release and peace when I pick up a paper and scribble away with my pen, or when I can sit and peck away at a keyboard. Over the years I have struggeled to speak the words about the way that I feel, and I have discovered that the best way for me to truly express myself is through written word. I have created this blog as a way for me to reveal my bare soul and as a tool to speak what's on my mind. My hope is that this will bring me insight, encouragement and self growth as I look back on my past. May this be a learning tool that both educates and inspires, and also a reminder of the lessons learned. I hope that when I reflect back on choices that I made I can learn from both my failures and successes. May I also be reminded that knowledge is power, for the more I know the less I have to fear, for fear is a debilitator. We tend to fear that which we do not know. "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -- Albert Einstein

It was just the other day when I was reading Paulo Coelho's book, The Winner Stands Alone for book club that I read, "She always had a terrible fear of cancer, and as Job says in the Bible, the thing that she greatly feared came upon her. She died of the dread illness..." Although my eyes continued reading, my mind had stopped with that sentence as it mulled over the words I had just read. FEAR! A powerful short four letter word that brings about much emotion. Fear causes us to walk away from great opportunities, express our true feelings, go after our dreams and aspirations and indulge in our true selves. FEAR hinders our ability to believe and achieve our greatest beings. As I thought about this, I thought to myself, how could we create an environment that empowers people to overcome their FEAR and AWAKEN their soul?

Too often we are injected with ideas of fear that we tend to shy away from things that scare us as a way to protect ourselves from being hurt. For instance, one of my goals in life is to write a children's book and have it published. I have been working on this semi-seriously for almost a year now. A few months ago I met with the woman that I have asked to illustrate my book and she provided with some critical but relevant and appreciated feedback. Ever since then I have not been confident enough to begin writing for my book. I have continued to tell myself, along with others, that I have had a "serious" case of writers block, when in reality I was the only thing blocking myself from writing. This FEAR that I have recently developed in regards to failing to write something worthy enough to be published has failed me to not write anything at all. I continue to ask myself what is it that will awaken me to believe in myself again?

It was just recently that I got out my pad and paper and scribbled down a short story for a friend. I have begun to realize that this person is capable of bringing out a side of me that not many can, for they are able to draw out my colors allowing them to shine brightly on a blank canvas. This special individual has awoken my creative side again and brought me back to life. When I am around this person I FEAR no more, for it is at these times that I feel most alive.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
It's not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
And as we let our own lights shine,
We unconciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others." -- Coach Carter


May you be reminded with each day that passes you are the creator of your own destiny. Do not let fear hold you back from doing things that you both desire and long for. Surround yourself amongst friends, family and loved ones who will challenge you to become a better YOU and may you take on the challenge of doing the same for someone else. As the month of March continues challenge yourself to be the light in the darkness, the joy where there was sorrow, and the artist that paints the path towards liberation and hope. And as Ghandi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."