The Beautiful Things

I just spent a week in Paris, and I’m now sitting by the French Riviera. My senses have been overloaded with beautiful things — the aromas of lavender at the market, the taste of fresh pressed olive oils, a street violinist,  the breathtaking view of the Seine at sunset. It’s easy to see beauty when surrounded with so many exquisite sites and sounds, but what about in everyday life? I’ve learned that there are always beautiful things to notice and take in. The question is: are you looking for it?

Without attention, you can spend a lifetime living with regrets of the past or worries of the future, rarely being here, in this moment.

All those days of not noticing beauty — a stunning sunset, the vibrant colors of flowers, the smile of an elderly woman, the warmth of the sun — leads to a dull and unfulfilling life.

We try to push, worry and obsess our way to beauty. However, beauty is rather simple. It’s about being awake and appreciating the moment.

I’ve had to train myself to notice the beautiful things.

The week before I left for Paris, my mind was whirling with things that I needed to do — call the bank, pack, fold the laundry, go to the grocery store, call my broker, not to mention company matters that needed my attention.

One evening, with overwhelm knocking on the door, I was snapped out of the “do brain” and heard something so beautiful — the sound of six teenagers laughing loud from my daughter’s bedroom.

For a few moments, I was so present, forgetting all the things on my to-do list and taking in those things on my to-cherish list.

I soaked up the boisterous noise floating down the hallway and into the living room.

It was my wake up call to stop and take in this moment, because I won’t always have those feisty teenagers romping around my house.

Then, I heard the delicate sound of aspen trees outside my window.

This was followed with my noticing the gorgeous fresh bouquet of flowers on my dining room table.

With a shift of focus to right here, right now, I became overwhelmed, not with all my responsibilities, but with the beauty available to me at all times.

Rumi said, “What you seek is seeking you.” 

You cannot create a beautiful life by ignoring all the beauty that surrounds you. {Click to Tweet}

In this very moment, there are so many stunning things to notice.

Are you awake enough to experience them?

What are you seeking?

Wake up to this moment and share something beautiful in the comments below.

Seeking beauty,