Expectations or Standards [Beauty]
Beauty Fades When You Try To Change, Extend, Fill, Fix or Stretch It
As I wander and wonder on day 1 inside my rose themed bungalow, the message is delivered on day 2. The message of #beauty has been constantly knocking on my door to be heard, seen and felt. If beauty surrounds all of us all the time, then it is our responsibility to open up our doors to listen, notice or feel it. To hear, see or feel it as it is; and not judge it or try to change, extend, fill, fix or stretch it to meet our expectations (usually imagined or unreasonable) or standards (mostly artificial, advertised and programmed; definitely not realistic):
Beauty is a progression of constant change.
Beauty is a natural process.
Beauty is slow and messy.
Roses have thorns, oceans have sand and fruits have seeds. Therefore, progress, process, unease and messiness is a required part of any type of beauty progress or beautification process (growth or maturation quest for all 4 bodies: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). I am not talking artificial eyelash, nails, designer labels or interior decorators (those can be bought by anyone); I am talking about natural changing developments which arise when you choose to work on your inside world instead of your outside looks or likes.
Back to opening the door to notice where beauty lives. You can find beauty in the here and now adventure of living life or find beauty with whatever is in front of you for the daily living (it is our choice, as we are the task, mask or bask master). Where beauty lives is what I’m currently stuck in; beauty is in the apartment (home) before beauty can be found outside the apartment. The apartment is clean, old and steps away from the beach. Because it is aged, does not mean it is trashed as every thing and every one holds the potential to be treasured.
For the past six years, on an extended quest to become self-sufficient and feel alive, every new place prompts me to question my expectations and standards. Usually, I want to leave on the first night after the first dance of "it's not beautiful and I can't "afford" better yet or maybe the next one will be better."
Thankfully for all surrounding neighbors, I taught myself to keep this storm inside while I breathe, unpack, reconcile and settle in after a grocery shop and good walk. Then the beauty of the place can unfold (and it always does!) after I release my closedness and rigidity from my first impression. An impression based on unreasonable expectations or impossible standards of beauty which sets us up to fail and creates an uneasiness. An uneasiness to reconcile internally, hopefully, before any external voice happens. Reconcile or redeem perspective, place, people and responsibility of choice, not the dollar amount or entitlement, as the important matter in the here and now to unpack and unfold before going outside to play.
Reconciling my choices through a rewashing of dishes - grocery shop pondering arises from looking at too many foreign labels, ingredients and expiration dates with remembering how an old friend told me she was expiring and therefore would be replaced. Wtf?
Perspective shifts after wiping off the sand from a good walk on the beach (beauty = pure joy from all showing up to play with nature, not the camera), I start to think anew about the grocery shop experience. Experience, real or imagined, was the feeling of being rushed to buy groceries and pay quickly. I shopped slowly because I am vetting weird ingredients while designing meals in my mind to nourish, not comfort, myself in a foreign place for a week; not a "normal" convenience consumer. I paid when I translated the currency exchange to complete the shop.
Roses unfold slowly as they bloom, not by demand.
Roses need no explanation.
Roses need all petals.
To you + me: Please don't only look at the label, packaging or price, look at the ingredients to find beauty in the whole, not just the pits or cherry picked parts of life.
Beauty Surround,Found and Abound by Kathy @Keepgoing_123
Beauty surround
when we can listen, not just hear; when we can see, not just notice; and, when we feel, we are felt.
Beauty found
in people, places and perspectives.
Beauty abound
all around by feeling, not judging or ignoring or using, people.
On the beach, a little girl cut her foot on a rock and her mom advised to: “Avoid the rocks.” (temporary(?) solution). Wtff?
Avoid or possibly: “Pay more attention.” (aka responsibility).
Like a big wave crashing without enough notice, the word avoid churned in my head as I turned the corner and cut my foot on a rock “hiding” in the ocean. Hahaha!!!
Now, that’s beauty found in a moment of showing up to the reality of life.
Beautiful lesson and parting cut: You can’t and don’t need to avoid the rocks; no matter your age, attention or responsibility!
Cuts heal, sand blows away and ripe fruit is meant to be enjoyed!