Recently in my classes we focused on tapping into simple pleasures. It made me even more aware of the beautiful moments that I often miss because I'm not present. But it also awakened a simple truth that had been floating around in my mind but I hadn't fully embodied yet:
We are the only creatures that can create and fully appreciate beauty, for the sake of it.
Think about this: Humans create things just for the sake of adding more beauty. While a spider weaves a web for sustenance, an artist weaves fabric and threads to create a piece of wall art. A flower blooms because that's what it is designed to do to thrive, while a florist takes those flowers and styles them into arrangements that add beauty to a space. We can sit on a mountain top and appreciate the splendor all around us, and while a bear might come to that same peak most likely it's just passing by, not soaking in the beauty that surrounds it. We have the capacity to see beauty where other living things would pass on by.
I believe there is so much power in this knowing and in our ability to create and appreciate beauty. So what do you do with this power? Create more beauty in your life. Make the spaces around you beautiful. Take care of yourself so that you feel beautiful from the inside out. Add beauty through the words you use and the things you choose to do. Appreciate the beauty that is all around you. Stop and notice. Deeply appreciate and drink in the beauty that is present in all things. Slow down, get off your device, make time for others, make time for you. Pause more often throughout the day to acknowledge the beauty that you see. To live fully is to embrace this incredible aspect of being human. Reclaim your power today!