An underrated and surprisingly simple way to add richness and meaning to your life is to become a connoisseur of everyday beauty. Many people spend money and invest their time to pursue a better life. Yet relatively few approach the gift of beauty with the intentionality it deserves. Why is this? One reason is that beauty has so much to compete with these days. Unlike the pleasures of
Social Media, tasty food, and gaining wealth, beauty’s pleasures gradually reveal themselves to those who cultivate a taste for them. Take a piece of art, complex
music, or fine architecture, for example. They hold pleasures for the novice, to be sure, but they offer even more significant layers of beauty for those who invest the time to understand the nuances of what they’re experiencing. 1. The Ability to Be Fully Present 2. The Ability to Notice 3. The Ability to Savor The wonder of a child at play. See the child’s bounding energy, endless curiosity, and childish mannerisms. The colors of a sunrise or sunset. No two are ever the same. Be amazed by the many shades of colors and how they blend together. The taste and smell of food. Notice the emotions and memories they evoke. Mentally catalog the feeling of anticipation and the sense of pure bliss from those first few bites. The warmth of physical touch. Allow the warmth of another person’s body to comfort you, and pay attention to the subtle ways every hug, handshake, and embrace differs from person to person. The serenity of moving water. Few things calm the mind better than a gentle stream of water in a natural setting. Within the serenity is an
explosion of life to be noticed. The sound of pleasant music. Think about the ways that sounds strung together can create such powerful experiences. Sound can energize and inspire—even more surprising, it can move us to tears. The intrigue of a good story. Whether a book, TV show, or movie, the power of a good story is indisputable. Don’t settle for passive engagement—pay attention to what makes you enjoy the story and how it hooks you. The splendor of nature. Nearly every plant, animal, insect, and mushroom can stir a sense of beauty if you take a moment and look closely.