How To Find Beauty In Life

Over the last few years,

I’ve noticed there are times where I really struggle to find the beauty in life. To find anything good or positive or lovely, has been a monumental struggle more than I care to admit. I guess you could say it’s understandable, maybe even expected, considering what the past two years has brought. And lord knows I’m not the only one feeling this way, but it doesn’t make it easier for someone like me, who’s usually keen to seek out the beauty and positivity in everything.

Under normal circumstances, we can blame our routines and habits for making us lose sight of the beautiful things in life. Sure, routines are great for keeping us on track and getting things done and making our lives easier and more efficient. But tucked away in those routines we run through on auto-pilot are the moments that are often overlooked, forgotten about or rushed through, the moments that are maybe mundane or unexciting, or don’t really accomplish much of anything where routines and goals are concerned, but the moments, never the less, that make up our lives. The morning routine, the things we do to set ourselves up for a successful day, the evening routine, the things we do to make sure we get the right amount of sleep, taking vitamins, running errands, eating our veggies, drinking enough water, the grocery shopping, the laundry, the yard work, our daily habits…our days are basically one long never-ending routine, with no space for breaks or breathers or enjoyment or spontaneity.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in just getting by, saying you’ll do things “one day” or when you have “more free time”. But one day comes and goes and you still aren’t doing those things. Which, to me, is nothing short of a nightmare.

You know in the movie “Couples Retreat”, towards the beginning, when Malin Åkerman’s character says to Vince Vaughn’s character something about how they were supposed to take there honeymoon and never did because work, kids, home, this, that and the other thing? Yeah, well that line, it’s like a dagger straight through the heart of my dreams. Every time I hear it, I’m reminded of just how easy it is to get caught up in the daily routine and all the things I say I want to do, but claim I don’t have time for, or say I will do one day, and then never do.

I live in almost constant fear of waking up one day, 20 years gone by in the blink of an eye, and so many of the simplest, yet most beautiful, moments gone, missed, never to be seen again, opportunities missed, dreams not fulfilled, days not fully lived. Like I don’t fear snakes or spiders or heights, I fear this. And “losing” time over the last two years has only intensified this fear and made it even worse (something I didn’t think was possible). And now, with yet another birthday around the corner, the fear is intensifying for me yet again. How do you slow down time, how do you savor the here and now, how do you make the mundane more marvelous, how do you find the beauty in life, how do you embrace every moment, how do you keep your life from flying by without fulfilling your hopes and goals and dreams? It’s something that has weighed on me heavily, and something that I’ve been trying to tackle myself, so that I truly don’t actually wake up one day, realizing I’ve missed all the beauty that life has to offer.

This year is a big year (for reasons I’ll share at later dates) so I’m determined to not let it be “just another year” that goes by. It’s a big goal of mine, really my only goal this year, to get back to living my days with purpose and not just running through them on auto-pilot, to slowing down and savoring the moments, to, once again, find the beauty in life, and make sure I actually have the time to stop and appreciate it. To take the time, make the time, to stop and smell the roses.

Give Gratitude //

I think one of the easiest ways to find beauty in life is through gratitude, being thankful and grateful for the opportunities, people, experiences and things that surround you. It’s not always easy to do, but an approachable way to implement more gratitude in your life is by starting a gratitude journal practice. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it can be as simple as a plane notebook in which you write down 3-5 things you’re grateful for every day. Or skip the notebook and simply use an app, or the notes section of your phone. Whatever makes it easy.

Practice Positivity //

Right after gratitude, I think having a positive mindset and seeking out the positives is one of the most helpful things when it comes to finding beauty in life. It does take some training, retraining and continued practice, but it does get easier and become more natural to choose, seek out and see the positive over the negative.

Learn to Let Go //

Let go and let God is one of my favorite sayings, a reminder that there is beauty and peace in surrendering, letting go, pausing, taking a step back and just being and letting things be.

Perform Acts of Kindness //

Whether it’s small or big, give back and give love through acts of kindness, volunteering and/or giving back. It’s always a beautiful thing to see the impact you can have on someone else’s day, or week, or life, and nothing does that quite like giving back.

Take Time to Pause //

Don’t forget to stop and look around every once in a while. There’s beauty everywhere, if only you remember to pause and take it in.

BE SPONTANEOUS //

Since we tend to lose the beauty of life in our routines, I think the best way we can find it again is in spontaneity. Don’t be afraid to make space for spontaneity in your life. Don’t make plans, go with the flow, see where the day takes you, let go and let live.

Offer Forgiveness //

Because as the saying goes “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” Holding on hurts you, not them, and that hurt and anger can blind you to anything that is positive, bright and beautiful.

Change Your Perspective //

If you’re struggling to find the beauty in life, a change in perspective can really help. Get out of your home, space, routine, etc. and switch it up, and you just may find the way you look at things will suddenly change (for the better) too.

Focus on the Good //

Choose to focus on the good, the things you can control, the positive things, the things that you do find beautiful, not the negative things or the things that are out of your control.

Stop and Smell the Roses //

A forever favorite reminder to take the time to slow down, whether it’s to smell an actual rose or a metaphorical one.

Savor It All //

The good, the bad, yup, all of it. Because the good is, well, good, and the bad is what helps you learn, grow and enjoy the good even more.

ROMANTICIZE YOUR LIFE //

Romanticizing your life is all about embracing your life and making every aspect of it, even the mundane (especially the mundane!), more special and enjoyable. I dive more into and ways to romanticize your own life here in this post.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff //

Because, as one of my favorite books, Don’ Sweat the Small Stuff, reminds us, at the end of the day, it’s all small stuff. Don’t get so caught up in nonsense and small stuff that you miss the beauty of life right in front of you!

Have Personal Mantras //

Strengthen your self-compassion and boost your confidence through daily repetition of positive personal mantras. Because seeing yourself in a beautiful and positive way in turn helps you to see the world around you in a beautiful and positive way.

Have a Hobby //

Something you love, that you can do just for YOU, not for a friend, or for work, or a loved one, or anyone other than yourself

Add Beauty to Your Routine + Space //

If you want your life to be beautiful, you have to make everything you do in life beautiful, including your space, your closet, your home, your food, your routines. Beautiful doesn’t mean fancy or complicated, it simply means that it brings you joy and peace and happiness.

Make the Day-to-Day Less Mundane //

In that same line of thought, work to make your day-to-day less mundane and more beautiful by replacing ordinary objects with ones that are beautiful, think things like the toothbrush you use or the bottle you put your dish soap in. It may seem silly but it’s one of the simplest ways to add beauty to every day life.

Find the Beauty, Even in the Brokenness //

Something I absolutely love about wabi sabi design is the embracing of beauty, even in brokeness. Things that are worn, old or broken still have history, meaning, usefulness and are deserving of space and are still very beautiful, just maybe in a different or unexpected way, and I think that same principal could really be applied to all areas of life.