Do you ever have those days? You know, the ones where the shine of life appears to have become a little duller. Maybe you had an exciting thing happen in recent past and now you have the blues? Maybe everything just seems to be going wrong?
We’ve all been there. We all know that times can be hard. Sometimes we wonder why we even bother. While the weight of the world can feel like it’s crushing us from the inside out, it’s easy to feel discouraged and defeated. With the enormity of all the terrible things that happen in our world every day, it can sometimes feel like there is no light left in this world.
But it is in those moments of despair, those lonesome, despondent moments that we need to remember one universal truth: Life is simply beautiful.
Now I must disclose that I didn’t always have this view of life. For it wasn’t until my late twenties that I started to perceive life’s inconsistencies less as obstacles and more as abstract art waiting to be molded into place. That beauty, like lives greatest moments, doesn’t just come into existence, it’s perceived, dreamed, and actualized into being. While beauty exists everywhere, it’s only when you stop viewing life by its absences, but rather as mess waiting to be colorfully perfected, does it come into practical, useful focus.
And ready for an even most revolutionary idea? Any of life’s messes can become art. But only the beholder, your own beautiful self, can become the perfection you seek to see in the world simply by changing your own attitude and approach to how you see the world. It was this idea, of choosing how to view the world around me, that made the hard times nothing short of magic in the making. And now the older I get, the more I seek out the life-draining minutia of life, so I can turn the scraps of yesteryear into the beauty of my tomorrows.
For weeks, I have wanted to create a post to serve as a reminder, to myself and others, as to why we should all not only fall back in love with the upcoming season but life itself.
For anyone who is currently questioning their existence and meaning. For anyone on the verge of giving up. For those feeling mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially exhausted, I present to you an alternative, tangible view-my 40 favorite reasons that I believe that the life that we lead is truly beautiful:
1) Waking up each morning — you are here, you are alive, and this day was made for the taking.
2) The face of someone you love — there is nothing better than seeing all that you love each day.
3) Having something to do — Purpose, no matter how small, makes life meaningful.
4) Nature — A gentle breeze, falling leaves, the perfection of the animal kingdom.
5) Music — it lifts your soul and every life needs its own soundtrack.
6) A warm embrace — Hugging increases your sense of humanity, and feels great, too!
7) Exercise — Moving your body makes can make all the difference in this world.
8) Kindness — Taking a moment to do one small thing for someone else can make this world even more amazing.
9) Taking a stand — Stand up for something you believe in. Use your voice.
10) Love — loving a person, job, book, or hobby. Fill yourself up with your passions brings joy to the soul.
11) Miracles- They happen every day, and humanity is at the forefront of this movement!
12) Potential- We have all done amazing things and have the potential to do so again today!
13) Invention- Necessity is the mother of invention, and we all possess the knowledge to creative awesome things.
14) Fearlessness- No matter what faces us, people can sit up and say ‘bring it on’. We are all winners.
15) Hard Work- It makes us stronger and anything you put enough effort into, you can achieve.
16) Love is Everlasting- Love has no expiration date, and how awesome is that?
17) Insanity can Spark Joy- Sometimes we can just laugh at how much fun we are. Life, you so crazy…
18) Never Saying Can’t- Everyday is an opportunity to say I can. And what’s more beautiful than that?
19) We are all heroes- You don’t have to fly to save the day. Sometimes all it takes is a smile from a stranger.
20) Anyone can change the world- Can a person become a movement? Sure. Ever heard of Mahatma Gandhi?
21) Conviction- Every one of us has the power to make the world better. With enough conviction, it can happen.
22) Perspective- Our world lets us change our view by changing where we stand, and that’s a beautiful thing.
23) Dreams- We live in a world where a child’s wish can become reality. And we are all someone’s child.
24) Treats make life sweeter-Sometimes nothing beats just enjoying what we’ve got, or an ice cream cone!
25) Comebacks rock- You might have been dealt a blow, but you live in a world where comebacks happen daily.
26) Your life is amazing- Just the fact that you’re here is beautiful. You were created. You truly are a miracle.
27) Our universe is huge- In a universe as mind-bogglingly huge as ours, there’s space for a lot of beauty. A lot.
28) Friends- A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet, no matter who they are. How beautiful is that?
29) Confidence- We are capable of anything we want, as long as we believe we can.
30) Winning happens- No matter how many times you lose, you still sometimes win.
31) Being awestruck- Sometimes there’s a moment the world is so beautiful, we can’t even speak. That’s awesome.
32) The right thing- People sometimes help others for no other reason than it’s what you’re supposed to do.
33) Nothing can stop you- You. Are. Awesome. Go out there and be awesome no matter what happens.
34) Every day is new- Life is just a long series of beautiful second chances.
35) Time- Time changes perspectives and given enough time… anything can happen.
36) You are unconditionally loved- No matter who you are, someone loves you. People care for you. You are loved.
37) Even scary things are beautiful- Things that scare us are just character building exercises in the making.
38) Hope- When people get you down, never forget we are all capable of awesome things. Like hope.
39) Searching- Beauty, it’s out there. We know we just have to find it. Luckily it’s everywhere we look.
40) Anything is possible- No matter what, we can do literally anything. And that’s the most awesome thing of all!
So, folks, that’s my current list of reasons I feel this world is beautiful. Reasons why I should want to smile throughout my day. I’m not giving you a smattering of platitudes, but a myriad of reasons I wholeheartedly believe to be true. When we allow ourselves to not be intimidated by those things that are not working in our lives and refocus our energies on obtainable goals, we can all find something to be truly grateful for.
While we may feel that these moments of beauty might not be in our own life at the moment, just looking outside and becoming emerged in the somethings beyond ourselves, we can all start to appreciate the wonders of the world. Perhaps even the goodness in other people’s lives. It is that perspective that can bring a smile to our faces and hope to our hearts.
As yesterday marked a new season, I find myself in a small moment of self-reflection. And just for a second, I beginning to lament about the inadequacies in my life. However, when I turned my focus away from work and towards my home office window, my panoramic of perspective changed. I saw the forming of a sunset, my family taking our dogs out to the front lawn, the falling of leaves, our neighbors car pulling into their driveway signaling their safe journey home from work, and in the background, I heard the sound of our electric pressure cooker coming off of steam, letting me know that a hearty, life-giving meal, was in my not-so-distant future. My small corner of the world seemed ever so beautiful again.
While it is important to have an awareness of the world and to be an engaged member of the global community, an encouraging force of advocacy, and a voice for against tides of tragedy and rage, we must all never loose sight of what’s truly most important. That to thrive in life means being open to finding the beauty in your particular here and now. The way the birds call to the world when they wake, the way the wind rustles through the Autumnal trees, the warmth of your bed at night, your lover’s warm embrace, the food on your table, and the security of having a place to call home.
Reminding yourself that life is beautiful helps to not only improve the quality of your life, but it also helps you to make small, proactive changes in our world simply by bettering our personal attitudes and opinions of others. Even this morning, as I wake up later than expected, drowsier than necessary, and appearing less put together than I would wish, I still feel that life, my life and yours, is utterly amazing and that is why I feel life is beautiful.
And if you’re anything like me, and you enjoy sporting your beliefs on your person, you are in luck! The shirt I’m wearing today, the Cents of Style Life Is Beautiful Tee, is currently on sale for only $15.95, with free shipping when you use promotional code LIFEIS1 at checkout. And it would be reminiscent of me not to mention that this sale runs through 9/25/16!
So friends remember: Be brave, be connected, be present. And to always remember that life really is beautiful.
Here’s to you,
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