Beauty exists all around us, from the statues of ancient Rome to the hills in Los Angeles, and the cicadas dancing through the trees in Texas; an appreciation of beauty requires continually looking upon the world with fresh eyes; allowing ourselves to be in a constant state of discovery. A solitude nurtured with gratitude allows us to acknowledge the beauty in our lives; we learn to explore our internal world then traverse the external. Our goal becomes to remain present against the everything preventing us from living in the fullness of each moment. “Value everything occurring within us above the world outside of us”, Rilke says, learning to trust ourselves against the world’s pressure to conform requires a commitment to discovering beauty within our suffering. Every generation is obligated to battle against the forces preventing the discovery of beauty; there is so much in the world creating a bulwark between the discovery of ourselves. We throw ourselves in sync with the universe through living purposefully guided towards the appreciation of beauty; every aspect of our lives must develop this eye of sensibility.
Beauty saves us; the cicadas simmering through the Texas trees become companions on our walk; the moon becomes a guide; the realization that we contain breathe, and take up space in a large world. During our loneliest nights beauty saves us. When left alone nature coexists with a peaceful rhythm deserving of imitation, and we can hear this patience through the silence. Walking in the woods teaches us we are larger than our fears, and the doubt that traps our growth is illusory; the appreciation this silence leads to patience in our growth. I know people that have achieved a lot in life–success, for me, is loving, being loved, and attempting to march toward our dreams–and compare themselves to people that have achieved “more”. People are comparing themselves to other people, and overlooking the love contained in their life; this is a major source of our pain today. We are unable to live in the moment, embrace ourselves, remain patient, and appreciate life. Our solution, I believe, is beauty; beauty as way of approaching life. And finding beauty in the little things is the beginning of our journey, we must thank our bodies, walk with the trees, breathe as we look at the moon, and remember, most importantly, that we have worth intrinsically. Our worth is based on the amount of people we help; the amount of people we love; the lives we change, and our presence in each moment.
Our discovery of beauty is the beginning of our path to God; we enter the kingdom of beauty. The mundane may possess our faith; our anxiety may cause us to forget our worth, but we must continue listening to the world inside us. We mimic God through a intricate process of spiritual transformation. A beautiful collection of letters that is a great companion for every artist; each letter provides wisdom on the obstacles we all face, and provides insight into overcoming the inhibitors to our success. Letters to a young poet should be read by every artist; whether you are a healer, yogi, astrologist, reiki initiate, or poet this collection should be kept on your hip.
