We all need something beautiful to reset our focus and bring much-needed clarity. This empowers us to not live as victims conforming to whatever the world either violently throws at us or simply consistently distracts our focus. Rather, we get to live with the true belief that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. What good news to know that we can choose to live this way!
So how do we do this well?
Simply put, reach for something beautiful.
I have found that if I take the time to seek out beauty in my work, it goes hand in hand with increasing my happiness and hope. More importantly, it helps me to not become a victim to other people’s mindsets that may be focused on the mind chatter of worry, fear, anxiety, or despair. Focusing on something beautiful helps us stay connected to what we want to be connected to – like finding creative solutions that help or increasing our empathy for others. It’s actually much simpler than you might think.
It may be savoring a cup of tea (insert favorite drink of choice) as you gaze out the window, taking in the colors of changing leaves, or enjoying the face of a loved one walking into the room, or even lingering lovingly on a photograph that sits on your desk as you take a work call. Even simply looking away from your screen and gazing out the window as you talk on the phone invites in beauty that can shift the tenor of the conversation. These are some simple ways I reach for beauty during my busy work week.
When I have more time between client calls or on days off, I find beauty in a more expansive way like strolling in the park where I take notice of children playing, every bird and squirrel, a dog being walked. It might be a good book or podcast I’m listening to as I walk on the hilly ridge behind my house. Or it might be a song that moves me because it reminds me of who I am choosing to become and how I get to stay in control of how I show up each day.
So, in the midst of the trauma we are witnessing unfold around the globe, I want to share something beautiful that I reached for. May it encourage you as it did me to keep choosing your mindset and how we get to join with love rather than hate.