On the path; waiting for the wind to blow.
If we imagine what it might be like to be constantly happy, most of us would envision it as ‘enjoying every moment to its fullest’ and ‘Having what you want’. Now, when we think about ‘enjoying each moment to its fullest’, even the happiest people have routines very similar to the ‘common’ peoples routines, each and every day. And everybody always has a reason to want more; like another day of life…right? Remember, ‘wealthy or commoner’, we are more similar to each other than dissimilar.
Much of our daily regimen would stay the same, even if we won the financial and emotional lotteries. We’d still rise up, shower, eat, sleep and so on. By simple logic, we can reason that most of the time we have the same opportunity to be happy, like those we imagine are happy all the time.
We know that many people who are much better off than the ‘common folk’ in financial terms are not happy campers at all! What does it take to be one of those individuals that does transgress the ‘ordinary’ life into one of continuous joy? If it’s not money, if it’s not circumstances, what is it? Even good health is not enough to keep some people happy all the time.
Well, aside from giving oneself the opportunity to learn, to be healthy and to be sociable, it takes an inner appreciation of life and the world around us. I call this Found Beauty.
Look Closely for Found Beauty
Found Beauty is something which was given to me by my mother, when I was young. Back then, I was about eleven and living in a dreary afternoon; it was shivery, cold, wet and dim. I bemoaned my displeasure to my mother, “it’s shivery, cold, wet and dim; I hate days like this!” and she came back her typical smile and happily said, “No, that’s your thoughts about it, the trees and plants like it, the birds and animals like it, the people that ski in the mountains like it!” I was about to come up with more reasons to validate my displeasure with the day and she continued, “Come here, by the window…take a look at the branch, what do you see?” Well, that was easy. I told her I saw a droopy, wet branch with a gray sky behind it. I won’t forget what she shared with me next. She said, “Look at just the end of the branch, right where the water droplet is forming. If you move this way and that you can see it sparkle, even with just the little light we have. If you look even closer, you can see the whole front yard upside down in miniature; the water droplet is like a lens…it’s really interesting! The image in the water droplet is brighter than it really is outside . . . if you look close enough”.
I looked closely and sure enough, I could see a beautiful world inside the water droplet, I just had to look close enough. Next, I wanted to go outside to look even closer. I put on my jacket and boots and eagerly marched out the door to investigate in detail. When I came back in, full of enthusiasm, I realized what had just happened; my lousy day had just turned into an interesting day, just with me changing my perspective, by looking closely enough, I found the good… ah, found beauty. Smart Mom,. huh?
Now, I have lived many years with the awareness my mother gave me. Often, when I am ready to allow unhappiness to overtake my mood I think to myself, “Where is the good? What is joyful about this?” By simply asking myself those questions my mind automatically goes to work (subconsciously) and begins looking for the good. Our subconscious pays attention to what we ask ourselves, what we want to learn, and acts on those thoughts, with purpose . . . unrelenting purpose.
It’s been decades since my early lesson in Found Beauty and now I must admit that I can still be amazed at how the question ‘where is the good?’ always seems to have an answer; we simply have to look close enough … just like the water droplet. Someone once asked me, “OK then, so where’s the good in your mother passing away?” I thought for less than a heart beat and remembered the times she would say to me “It’s not how long you live; it’s about how you enjoy each and every moment.” Obviously, the good was that indeed she did live, and enjoyed living. Death is simply a stage of living. How she lived was the glory. I then thought of so many happy times, the joys of our family life…before I knew it I was beaming and bingo! … Found Beauty (thanks Mom).
Finding beauty fuels happiness; do you want to be happy?
Today, among other things, I photograph Found Beauty. Through the lens I find things for my creative self. I realize wonderment on a continual basis; finding beauty in the world around me. Others see a rusted wheel rim in an alley; I find the colorful dandelions growing through the hole in the middle, both weed and wheel composing their own beauty. Others see spilled oil on the ground; I see a brilliant, detailed reflection of the sky within the black oil spill. When I choose to clean up the oil spill, I enjoy that result. Found Beauty just doesn’t have to stop, ever. Found Beauty works with any and all situations. If you can’t afford to go inside the Art Museum, find beauty in the building itself. You see, we must be the willing ones, that’s how we reap the riches.
The best thing is this: Found Beauty is therapeutic for every level of the human experience. The more beauty you look for, the more you’ll find. Beauty can be found in any or all situations, things or thoughts. It is a Right of Life; heck, it’s even tax free!
Found Beauty reduces stress. A mind that looks for Found Beauty will be in a state of gratefulness more often and will tend to drift toward pleasant thoughts when idle. With a relaxed mind our health is demonstrably better, we sleep sounder and we enjoy life more…isn’t that what we want when we ask for happiness? A pessimistic mind outlines problems, like what isn’t right about something, or it will count the days it has been raining and then complain when the days are too hot. When a mind like that is idle, it turns to less than happy thoughts; automatically, resulting in a less than happy person.
The owners of these pessimistic minds often say, “I can’t help it, these thoughts just come”. I don’t believe it! It’s about what you condition yourself to find in life’s situations. A gold miner doesn’t find gold because he’s a gold miner; it’s because he’s actively pursuing gold, using all his knowledge to maximize the chances of finding the gold. So too is it with your life. Will you enjoy ‘Golden Years’? Will you become one of the ‘lucky’ ones?
Don’t wait to win a lottery; Found Beauty is there for everybody, just like the gold has been there for everybody. The difference is; the ones that find gold are the ones that look for it. Become aware of the power of your thoughts and the power of the questions you ask yourself; allow your mind to serve you, not enslave you. Allow yourself happiness through the gift of Found Beauty. It’s everywhere, always.
Jos Van Poederooyen
ViewsandMuse.com
