Day 11: Chasing Beauty

What do these two words mean to you? Chasing beauty. A simple phrase that means so much to me and possibly nothing to you. I would like to invite you into these words and have you explore them in a different light than you ever have before. This is what chasing beauty means to me...

Life is all around us and it is so incredibly beautiful. For as long as I can remember, I have always seen the world in a way that is special to me. We all do this, only we can view the world from our point of view.

To me the world is so incredibly beautiful. Every day there is something so magical about the way the world look. Clouds are hardly ever the same and still fills me with wonder when I see them. The way the color red looks on an overcast day fills me with such joy. And don't get me started on how sunrises and sunsets are what I desire the most. They have never ceased to amaze me and I hope they never will.

Not only do I believe nature is beautiful. But oh the people. The way someone smiles and the way they talk. Having connection with someone else and laughing for hours endlessly with a friend. A random stranger met in the streets that you share a smile with. That is so incredibly beautiful.

For me chasing beauty is what I strive to do in life. It is the active intention of keeping my eyes open and looking for those beautiful little moments. The way the sun shines on the trees. How many cups of tea a friend drinks in a day.

When we keep our eyes open, beauty is everywhere. That is something that I believe a lot of people miss in day-to-day activity, including myself.

It can be so easy to simply allow yourself to go through the routine without a single consideration of what is going on around us. Life is so fast paced that it can be hard to slow down. I know I have fallen prey to living at break-neck-speed far too often. We get caught up in this insane idea that being busy is a goal in life. We want to fill our days with endless things to do, yet we miss the beauty of it all.

Chasing beauty for me is a simple reminder.

As we live our life, how incredible would it be if we tried to chase the beauty around us? Slowing down to simply stare out the window watching the world turn. Putting a song on repeat because it speaks to our soul. Talking with a friend for hours, even when you should be doing school, because you desire that connection. All this little moments that are so often swept to the side are so important to being alive.

There is beauty everywhere and if you do not see it, maybe you're just not looking. I have been so guilty of this, I live and I live and I realize that I missed so much. Noticing the world glowing with a pink hue but failing to go look at the sunset. Jumping out of the shower because I have somewhere to be, even though the warm water is calling me back in. Cutting a conversation short when it could have lasted for hours. We avoid the beautiful moments in life for....what?

What is so important to us that we fail to live life fully? I will tell you this one little thing that has been circling my mind for days now. If we chase after something and it keeps us from really enjoying every day, what is it really worth? If we miss the moments that make our heart sing because we "should" be doing something else, what's the point?

Life is about living and seeing the beauty all around us. It's there. I promise you even when the world seems like the ugliest place, there is so much hidden beauty waiting to be found. Every person you pass has thousands of stories to tell, but you'll never know them if you do not ask. Sleeping in can be the most relaxing thing in the world. Time spent with that friend you have be putting off might become some of your favorite memories.

There is so much beauty, but we put our heads down and "hustle" harder.

So I remind you and I remind myself to spend your days chasing beauty. Keep your eyes open for these incredible moments and the more you look the more of them you will see. They are everywhere, there is beauty everywhere. We just have to open our eyes and be willing to slow down.

I sat in a chair the other day for such a long time doing nothing except watching the trees outside. I talked to two long distance friends today and wrote a blog post instead of doing school and it was a much needed break. I told myself to enjoy dancing and stop trying to be perfect and it has changed my whole outlook on enjoying ballet class. These little instances where I took away the veil of just living and saw the beauty are just a few recent examples of how I have been chasing beauty.

So, I must ask...how do you plan to chase beauty from this moment forward?

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt