Beauty or The Beast – You Decide!

Today I want to share with you some beautiful words by the wonderful Matthew Fox [ Author of 30 books and an instrumental teacher and scholar in the revival of Western mysticism ].

I was lucky enough to see him speak when he last visited Australia and I have to say that he was beyond inspirational – so I wanted to share this brief passage with you and introduce you to him. It is a great quote and one that really brings into sharp focus the choice that we have each and every day to choose the Beauty in the World around us, or to choose to see The Beast in all that presents in our lives. Hence the title of this blog: Beauty or The Beast – You Decide. Because at the end of the day, it really is a choice that you make, whether you wish to admit to that or not.

This philosophy also feeds into the Ho’oponopono idea that we create everything, everyone, every experience and every situation in our lives. We are but an expression of our thoughts and our ideas. The paradigms that we choose to give life to each and every day.

So the question today is: Do you choose to see the Beauty in all around you? Or do you choose to see and feed The Beast? These choices really  do exist in each and every moment of the day.

Do you focus on the man who cut you off in traffic on the way to work, or do you focus on the beautiful sunrise heralding the start to the day?

Do you appreciate the delicious taste of the fruit and coffee you had for breakfast, savouring every mouthful, or do you focus on the negativity expressed through the news bulletin?

Do you send love and warmth to your wife, husband, or significant other as you wish them farewell for the day or complain that they forgot to do the dishes last night?

The list can go on and on and on…….

What do you choose to see?

What do you choose to feel?

What do you choose to hear?

What do you choose to express, magnify and project out into your day?

So before I go any further I will share the words of Matthew Fox with you, as I find his exploration of this concept so elegant and inviting.

” Looking for and enjoying beauty is a way to nourish the soul. The Universe is in the habit of making beauty. There are flowers and songs, snowflakes and smiles, acts of great courage, laughter between friends, a job well done, the smell of fresh baked bread. Beauty is everywhere, ready to nourish the soul”

 - Matthew Fox

Wow – doesn’t reading that just fill you up with JOY, fill you up with POSSIBILITY, fill you up with A NICE WARM GLOW.

And so it should – because it represents the very promise of each and every day.

The promise of all the beauty the Universe provides – free of charge to You.

And all you have to do is be aware and take it all in. Choose to see the beauty. Choose to feel the beauty. Choose to live and be this beauty.

But with the hustle and bustle and rushing around surrounding you, it can be hard to stop, relax, breathe, drink in the moments as they arise, and appreciate all this beauty. You can instead find yourself inhaling The Beast.

So what to do? What to do?

The answer is of course to simply be aware and conscious of all the beauty around you.

Make it a constant practice to be grateful for all you find – or at least you can try.

None of us is perfect, and we all find ourselves feeding and recognising the Beast now and then – and that’s OK. But we can certainly try to shift our focus to The Beauty……and once you start feeding The Beauty, noticing The Beauty, appreciating The Beauty, it becomes a habit and before you know it, The Beauty has taken precedence over The Beast.

For sure The Beast may pop in to say hello now and then – reminding you that you are indeed having a “human experience” on Planet Earth…….but aiming to live in and appreciate The Beauty is certainly the promise of a happier and more satisfying existence. And as they say: ” We can only but try”.

So I invite you now to reread this wonderful quote and then just sit with it for 10 – 15 minutes, letting it soak into the totality of who you are:

” Looking for and enjoying beauty is a way to nourish the soul. The Universe is in the habit of making beauty. There are flowers and songs, snowflakes and smiles, acts of great courage, laughter between friends, a job well done, the smell of fresh baked bread. Beauty is everywhere, ready to nourish the soul”

 - Matthew Fox

Mmmmmmmm – feels good doesn’t it.

My soul just lights up as I read that.

So now – perhaps you may like to write a list of 20 things that were beautiful in your day today.

And tomorrow – make a list of 20 more.

And the next day – 20 more – or even 40 or 50 or 60!!

And so it goes – and so your focus changes!

And so you grow the Beauty – expanding its effect on every aspect of your life and experience of life, as The Beast fades away to a supporting role, in the action that is the film of your life.

Sometimes bringing JOY into our lives is really just a matter of choice – but it is easier to shift that responsibility to those around us.

It’s her fault I am angry.

It’s his fault I am so upset.

It’s the cat’s fault I am  late and irritable.

Well actually – no. It is your fault. You chose to see, focus upon and react to the negative. And you could just as easily choose to move around whatever situation you are in and choose to see The Beauty – because there will be some  - somewhere. You just have to choose to see it and choose to focus on that instead.

As with everything – baby steps ha ha ha. We are all in this together and all travelling down the same road, headed in the same direction. So give it time and let the process quietly bob along.

So – with that in mind and Matthew Fox’s words ringing in your ears have a wonderful day full of The Beauty!

And enjoy every moment.

#Discover You #LoveYou #BeYou

- Christine -