See the Beauty. Be the Beauty.

Our world seems to be getting uglier and uglier in so many ways. When things get dark and dreary, it’s tempting to simply check out, numb out, pin all the blame on someone, rage against anyone, grumble and complain incessantly, and plenty of other less than helpful alternatives. I know what I’m going to share today may not seem earth shattering. May not even seem significant in the least. But I am confident these two suggestions will make your world better. Our world better.

1. See the Beauty. Take the time to unplug, slow down, look and listen. There is beauty all around us in this world. Sure, we’ve destroyed or twisted or tainted much of the beauty that once existed on this blue and green ball. But much remains. And taking the time to see it – I mean really see it – makes us better. Calmer. More grounded. More connected. More thoughtful. More caring. Try it. Go to your local parks. State parks. National parks. Learn to recognize different varieties of plants, birds, trees, snakes, and how they fit together in an ecosystem. Take pictures of the beautiful sights you see. The more you look for the beauty, the more you’ll find!

2. Be the Beauty. If you REALLY want to make this rotten world a better place, then take the next step. Don’t just see and appreciate the beauty existing around you already. Create more beauty! I’m not talking about becoming an artist, although that is a delightful thing. Make the world around you more beautiful by sharing a kind word. Picking up some trash. Letting someone in front of you in traffic. Sharing your stuff with someone else. Asking someone how they’re doing – and really listening. Forgive someone who has hurt you or hurt someone you love. Make amends for wrong you have done to someone else. Sing and dance and hug and hope and whistle and encourage and wipe tears and pay attention. You just might make your world a bit better. Along with someone else’s.