“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” -Daisaku Ikeda
Whenever I visit my family in Massachusetts, I notice changes all around me. Sometimes it’s something major, like a Rite Aid where a Mom and Pop shop used to be. Sometimes it’s something less noticeable, like a new door on my parents’ neighbor’s house.
Other times, these changes take place in my family. My mother’s changed her hair color, or my sister looks completely different after weeks on a new diet, or my father’s decided to embrace bright-colored clothes–despite formerly insisting to my mother that they’re “beige and earth tones people.”
Minor or major, outside or inside, every change catches my eye when I’m visiting because I’m there so infrequently. Each shift reminds me that a lot of life has happened in my absence, and it’s imperative that I notice and appreciate every beautiful detail while I have the chance to do it.
Anything can change in a heartbeat, and so much often does before we have the chance to stop, admire, and enjoy the beauty in how things are.
If we want to, we can make a million-and-one excuses to get caught up in our heads, wondering when things are going to get good. I know I’ve done it before, and I’ve missed a lot in the process.
The alternative is to make a point every day to notice all the beautiful details, as they are, while they’re there. This moment will never come again. What’s there to love today?
Photo by Ste3ve
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.
- Web |
- More Posts
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 
Synchronicity. This week I’ve gotten much more aware of the close-up details of my surroundings! I’ve been taking a 1-week FREE eCourse about How To Pay Attention To The World. It’s like your post here is part of that course. Believe it or not it’s a writing course, with the idea that we become better writers (as well as human beings — your focus in this post) the more we learn to observe and appreciate the very small details of our sensory world. I wrote a short blog post about the course here: http://ponder-the-pre.posterous.com/small-stones. I hope you don’t mind my providing that link — I thought it might be helpful for any of your readers who want to explore one practical method to help them “notice all the beautiful details”, as you say. The course materials are quite awesome, not necessarily just for writers, and propose very practical ideas.
A perfect reminder that life is already good… waiting for it to “get good” is just missing. Great for a beautiful Friday afternoon!
Lovely post Lori. I too am constantly fascinating by how much our world is always evolving and changing. It never gets boring, because no two moments are ever exactly the same. As you mention, there is always something new to notice. In many ways, it’s like a never-ending movie.
Cheers for the great thoughts!
i have to learn to be this way on a daily basis.. life is good RIGHT NOW, not when i finally get pregnant, or when i finally get the perfect job, or the perfect amount of savings. gonna work on appreciating the moment (which will NEVER come again). thank you.
It’s about being mindful, using our senses. Are we hearing the birds of spring as they’re chirping away? Are we seeing and really looking at the blossoming flowers – those insides are gorgeous! Are we feeling the cool sand on our feet during a sunset walk along the beach?
There’s a Seals and Crofts song (an oldie) – “we may never pass this way again”.
Connect to the Now, feel it and embrace it.
You are to be loved today!
I dig your writing!
short and sweet message..infact the most valuable message!!!! it happens, we just wait for the moments to arrive and do not enjoy the journey, we forget to notice the small little things, nature while searching for something big. But if we do notice these often missed out things, we’ll realize so much beauty is already around us..
we have to open our senses and feel it !!
Admiring the static form of life is comfortable, but misses half.
Change is the other half, which also needs to be appreciated and understood to fully enjoy life.
Excellent point! Nothing is ever static really. Karen Maezen Miller said that if you want change, lift your foot and stomp the ground–which I took to mean every moment is change.
Yes, absolutely! Someone once wrote on here, “Freedom is where my feet are.” I love that one because it really pulls you out of your head and back to the present moment.
Thank you Simon!!
You are most welcome. =)
Exactly! A teacher once told me that if we use our minds, we’ll never be bored. I think the opposite is true, as well–if we stop thinking and just observe, we can always immerse ourselves in something new and exciting.
I’m glad you found it helpful!