Beauty

I have recently begun a study of "Beauty" - it's a word that is used abundantly in our society but I feel like it is used in a very superficial way. We describe people, celebrities, homes, clothes, etc. as beautiful and it's true, these things are often nice to look at. But I would call all of this glamour, not beauty.

Real, true Beauty is deeper than what's on the surface. For example, the Beauty of a person is not external - yes, they may have a pleasing face but what makes that face truely beautiful is the soul underneath it.

Think about a time that you have witnessed true Beauty -- maybe a sunset in Maui, an eagle soaring over the Grand Canyon, a child running into the arms of her Mother, a swan swimming across a glass lake, a rainbow across the sky,...what did you feel in that moment? How did your soul, your core, respond? Did you feel peaceful? Did you feel alive? Did you feel courageous? Inspired? Joyful? Hopeful?

Continue to think about some of the truely beautiful moments in your life as you read the following descriptions of what Beauty is:

Beauty "suspends the desire to be elsewhere." --Ken Weber

Beauty is moving and uplifting.

"Beauty is the experience that gives us a sense of joy and a sense of peace simultaneously."

"Beauty is serene and at the same time exhilarating; it increases ones sense of being alive."

"Beauty gives us a feeling of wonder and a sense of timelessness."

"Beauty is dynamic." -- Rollo May

As I've been reading, writing, reflecting, experiencing Beauty I realize that it's all around us every day, every moment. We just have to be willing to take the time to see it. This is a great quote from John O'Donohue in his book 'Beauty: The Invisible Embrace'... "We can slip into the Beautiful with the same ease as we slip into the seamless embrace of water."

So really, it's up to us. Beauty feeds the soul in a way that nothing else can. When we awaken to the Beauty around us we become aware of a new way to be in the world - we are more joyful, more whole, we find more peace within ourselves and the crazy, busy world we live in.

I will leave you with two final thoughts (not my own, taken from O'Donohue's book)...

"The wonder of the Beautiful is its ability to surprise us. With swift, sheer grace, it is like a divine breath that blows the heart open."

My goal, Erin Drez's goal, is this..."to think, feel and act beautifully in the world; to create and live a life that awakens the Beautiful."


Below are a few Beautiful moments I've caught on camera over the last few weeks...