Today, I write to you about the idea of beauty.
It seems like the common interpretation of beauty is to be something physical, something that is aesthetically pleasing, something material. I respectfully disagree.
I have a list of topics, and I chose this topic today as I sit on the balcony of the resort I’m staying at with my girlfriend of two years, overlooking Mt. Mansfield in Vermont. Today, my life is beautiful.
We need to redefine how we think of things as beautiful. So look around, wherever you are, and identify something beautiful. If you can’t do this, then your perception of beauty is fundamentally flawed. Beauty isn’t just an adjective used to describe something aesthetically pleasing, it’s a way of thinking about something. You are beautiful because you are a complex, intricate, wonderful thing. Human beings are beautiful by design, and it’s our actions and choices that shape others perception of us towards, or away from that beautiful ideal.
I think mountains are beautiful, I love Vermont, I love the fall season. I enjoy clean, crisp, air. I enjoy the solitude, the quietness, the stillness of a forest, the slight babble of a small brook. It’s chatter. Nature’s chatter, is beautiful. It’s a complex, intricate, pleasing entity. Research provides evidence that spending time in nature increases happiness, but I think it’s even more than that. Beautiful things contribute to happiness, and we each have a different and unique perspective about what beauty is. Whether you think the beach is beauty, or the mountains are beauty, or the city is beauty, you’re right.
The world is exactly what you perceive it to be, and if you perceive more things in life to be beautiful I think you would find yourself being happier, and being able to appreciate more of the world.
Beauty can be seen in all things. It’s the way the leaves drift down from a tree. It’s not just the aesthetic component. There is something primal and earthy about witnessing the inner workings of the world. Whether it’s a leaf falling, or a person helping another person, there is a majesty that can be observed in our world, if only people would stop to see it.
So let’s step back before leaping forward, think of that thing you observed to be beautiful: an item in your room, a sound you can hear, the kiss of the breeze on your face if you’re outside, your own self. Think of why you think it’s beautiful. Take a moment to appreciate it. To understand that it isn’t only the physical component of why you think it’s beautiful. There is a deep, intense way that that thing appeals to your sense of beauty, and once you understand that, you can take the time to see more beauty in more things, and expand your happiness and worldview.
I sit here, on a balcony at a Vermont resort. Empty food plates of leftover dinner from last night sitting on the table. A stunning, impressive woman whomst I love dearly. Surrounded by mountains, clean air, and the inner workings of the universe. Everything around me is beautiful. I see every piece as possessing beauty.
My life is beautiful today. I truly hope that you are able to see the beauty that surrounds you, and experience joy and happiness.
Life is beauty.
