See the Beauty

In an attempt to find happiness, I challenged myself to nurture warm and fuzzy tendencies that I naturally lack.  Clueless where to begin,  I took one of the examples given  in the Harvard Study.   I thought the easiest one would be “Set a beautiful table for an ordinary meal – appreciation of beauty” for the virtue of Transcendence.  So I began by reminding myself by writing “See the Beauty” on my bathroom mirror. 

That morning I woke up early and as I lay down on the living room couch I listened to the birds singing outside the front door.  I thought how beautiful the sounds of a quiet morning are and realized I shouldn’t limit the appreciation of beauty to what I see.  I included all beautiful sights, smells and thoughts like the delicious smells of baking mango bread and a late blooming gardenia.  As I walked the dog, I consciously thought “see the beauty” and looked up to see the Biltmore Hotel Tower in the morning sun.  Walking down the halls of work, I noticed a beautiful bouquet of white roses in full bloom, and thought of the beauty of love.

I saw a beautiful upholstered chair but the story of the Uzbekistani mothers and daughters that embroidered the brightly colored fabric with micro-loans reminded me of the beauty of their spirit.

As the days passed I no longer had to remind myself to appreciate the beauty in my world.  Everywhere I turned the beauty was waiting to be appreciated - a rainbow over the city, a bright sunny day at the beach, playful monkeys, the cuddle of my husband.  With deliberate intention I savored in the moment and appreciated all the good.  The positive thoughts were cumulative and long lasting.  And at the end of the day, I was happier.  How simple.