Found Beauty

Thanks for the World and the Life.

Life is what you make it . . .

Found Beauty

When we imagine what it would be like to be in a constant state of happiness, most of us envision it as ‘enjoying every moment to its fullest’. Now, if we think about ‘enjoying every moment to its fullest’, even the happiest people do many of the same things that the ‘ordinary’ people do each and every day. Remember, ‘ordinary’ or otherwise, our lives are more similar to each other than not.

Much of our daily regimen would not change, even if we won the financial and emotional lotteries. We’d still be sleeping, eating, showering, and so on. By simple logic then, we can see that half the time we would have the same opportunity to be as happy as the people whom we imagine to be happy all the time.

Many who are much better off than the ‘ordinaries’ in financial terms are not happy campers at all! What does it take to be one of those individuals who can break the chains of ‘ordinary’ life into a run of continuous joyousness? If it’s not money, if it’s not circumstances, what is it? Even good health isn’t enough to keep some people happy, is it?

Well, Life is What You Make It, so allowing oneself to become the best version of themselves by learning, being healthful, grateful, and sociable is important. Additionally, I believe happiness is derived from a deep appreciation of life itself and the world around us. To ‘find’ beauty in anything, or, really, to find beauty in everything. I call this mindset the Art of Found Beauty.

Found Beauty was given to me by Mom. Back then, I was eleven years old and I thought it was a lousy, dreary afternoon; shivery, cold, wet, and dim out there. I moaned these thoughts because I was bored and Mom came back with her typical smile and cheerful self and beautifully stated, “No, that’s your thoughts about it; the trees and plants like it, the birds and animals like it, the people that ski like it!”

I began validating my displeasure with more moaning though she continued, “Come here, by the window … look at the branch, what do you see?” Well, that was easy. I told her I saw a droopy, wet branch with a grey sky behind it. She said, “Look at the end of the branch, right where the water droplet forms. If you move this way, then that, you can see it sparkling. If you look even closer, you can see the front yard upside down in the droplet. The droplet glistens like treasure. Go find it.”

Well, immediately I wanted to go outside to look even closer. I put on my jacket and boots and eagerly marched out the door to investigate. Mom was right and I found so much more too; I actually liked being outside now! When I came back in, I had evolved; my lousy day had just turned into a memorable day just by looking closer, looking for the beauty; it changed my perspective and how I saw the world. I could now look for the good in things … ah, Found Beauty. It’s an Art; and a Way of Being.

Many years have passed since discovering this art, this awareness Mom gave me. Often, when unhappiness wants to overtake my mood I think, “Where’s the good? What’s joyful about this?” By simply asking myself those questions my mind addresses the query and begins to look for the good or beauty in things. Our subconscious pays attention to what we think about and then engages to fulfill those thoughts; it’s a behind-the-scenes service; ask yourself good questions.

Now, I must admit that I’m still amazed at how the question ‘Where is the good?’ always seems to have a good answer; we must look close enough to find it … just like the water droplet. Someone once asked me, “OK, where’s the good in your mother passing away?” I thought for less than a heartbeat and remembered her, her gentle voice, the times she would say to me “It’s not how long you live; it’s more about how you enjoy each and every moment.” Obviously, the good was that indeed she did live, and loved living. She lived gloriously and I remembered so many happy times, the joys of family life, and Mom’s care and love … before I knew it I was beaming. Bingo! … Found Beauty. Yes, the ‘Good‘ is everywhere and in everything.

Now I photograph Found Beauty. Through the lens, I find and see things. I realize wonderment often in the world around me. Others see an ugly rusted wheel rim; I compose the colorful dandelions growing through the middle so that weed and wheel compose their own beauty. Others see spilled oil on the ground; I see a brilliant reflection of the sky within the black spill. If we choose to clean up the spill, we can find beauty in that result. Finding Beauty just doesn’t have to stop, ever.

And it works in all situations. If you can’t afford to go inside the Art Museum, find the beauty in the building or the sidewalk next to it. You see, you must be the willing one and then the beauty shows up.

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?

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, it can Rock Your Life… heck, it’s even tax-free! 

A pessimistic mind looks for reasons why it can’t; it will find problems in most things. When that mind is idle, it finds problems – automatically, it’s been trained into the habit. The owners of these minds often say, “I can’t help it, these thoughts just come to me”. Don’t you believe it! It’s about what you condition yourself to find in life’s situations. A prospector doesn’t find gold because he’s a gold miner; it’s because he’s actively pursuing gold, using all his mind, knowledge, and actions to maximize the chances of finding the gold.

What about your life? Will you have the ‘Golden Years’? Will you become one of the ‘lucky’ ones? Don’t wait to win the lottery; Found Beauty is there for everybody, just like gold has been there for everybody. The difference is the ones that find the gold are the ones that were looking for it. Become aware of the power of your thoughts. Live with the gift of Found Beauty. It’s everywhere, in abundance. Take action.
It’s up to you to decide which mindset you’d prefer to live with. Me? I’ll choose a happy mind every time. It’s free. It’s a choice.

Thanks Mom! Shine On.

Jos Van Poederooyen