Reading Alexander Shaia’s Heart and Mind, this morning, I was encouraged to “encounter beauty.” This is something we rarely seek proactively to do. Especially, we often neglect to see the beauty that is right before us—in the least obvious of places. It is easy to go the wilderness, to the mountains, or to the coast and expect to encounter beauty, but can we truly encounter it in our own backyard—in a city, in the suburbs, and in the midst of the “ordinary”? Only if we look, and if we are open to the encounter.
I couple of years ago was driving somewhere—where is not important. It was fall and the rainy season in the northwest. As I drove, I was overcome by the smell of evergreen needles. The wet needles covered the road and as my tires passed over them, they released a most pleasant aroma. I can honestly say I never smelled this before. (I am sure the odor was present many times before, but smell is a sensation—a perception.) It brought a new twist to old saying “stop and smell the roses”—or in this case, the cedar/pine.
As I took the moment to enjoy the experience, it occurred to me that this was a time when I was exceptionally “well-centered”. This is often a rare and small window, but I was much more open to experiencing my environment. I wasn’t distracted by worry, frustration, and thinking. I was just present in the moment. It was great—while is lasted.
We need to be in that place more often. I am not sure I would say “all the time”, because that just puts us in a constant dreamful state and is not likely productive. Rather, we need to make time for this encounters and allow the perception of beauty a place of freedom in our daily lives. Beauty needs to flow freely through our Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions.
Alexander Shaia identifies three categories of beauty: appreciation, collaborative, and creative. On one hand, we need to take the effort to appreciate beauty purposefully in our lives. This might involve a visit to the museum or taking pause in a garden or park. It is the pursuit of the beauty that avails itself to us. On the other hand, we need to practice our creativity. I don’t know a person who is not creative in some way or another. Some can draw or paint. Some build. Some make music or sing. Some write. One does not have to be a master of his or her art. One need only to create. I believe that, in many ways, we are made to create—and we are made to enjoy creation. We are also social beings, and we are made to enjoy creation/creating together. This is the collaborative beauty—the practice of experiencing beauty in community.
So, seek beauty. Be beautiful. Share beauty. Appreciate it. Encourage it. It will truly color your life.
Carpe momento!