|
  |
|
|
Beauty All Around
By Diana Rogers
Perhaps you don’t think of beauty as necessary to a significant and fulfilled life. Many people live every day of their lives without experiencing much beauty at all. They have it around them, but they simply don’t take time to appreciate it. Reflecting on 2010 and looking at all of my photo taking, I decided I needed to surround myself with more beauty because beauty is the quality that thrills the soul and makes life vibrant. Kahlil Gibran says, "“When you reach the heart of life, you shall find beauty in all things, even in the eyes that are blind to beauty.” Beauty elevates us beyond the mundane or even the extraordinary. It exists as an expression of something divine – whether in nature or human inspiration. Like love, beauty isn’t fleeting, and its effects are cumulative. It stirs your heart, your spirit and your intellect. The more you seek and absorb it, the more profound and essential it becomes to you. Arriving in a nearby city one day, I visited a lovely butterfly garden. I was fortunate to have my camera with me to capture and photograph the many varieties of butterflies. Stare at an individual flower and study the intricate and delicate elements of it. Being an avid gardener, I see beauty in the growth stages of all my plants. Come harvest time, my camera is at hand to capture the abundant harvest. Often catching a glimpse of a spider building its web in the wee morning hours intrigues me so. Such evidence of a busy night. Walt Whitman says, "A morning-glory at my window satisfies me over the metaphysics of books." I love to bring flowers indoors; listen to the sound of a rock or water garden in my home. Plus, capturing a photo of my own fountain running, or one outside the museum sends a message of vitality and strength in the captured image of fluid in motion. I love to share photos of my cat. There is beauty in studying the movement of this gorgeous animal. And how I love birds of all types and to hear their unique bird calls. When you wake in the morning, step outside for a couple of minutes. Look at the trees, the sky, and the clouds. Hear the sounds of natural things – birds, water, wind. I am thrilled to film the shadows parting with the rising of the sun at day break. The eastern sky is filled with brilliant hues of orange and yellow. At evening time, after sun down, bring a blanket to your yard and lie down and gaze at the stars... there are too many to count. How I love to go to an observatory and look through an immense telescope at the cosmos.
I keep a book of poetry and beautiful photographs by my bed and in my office. How beautiful to read a book from an author known for exquisite language. I have found beautiful movement in dance form as well as watching the grace of a great athlete. Mostly, I enjoy the beauty of hearing music and playing an instrument as well. Preparing a meal creatively, being attentive to the joy of the preparation, the smells, the simplicity of chopping & stirring is fun for me. Arranging the food artfully on the plate, setting a beautiful table, lighting candles, playing soothing music and savoring the meal is a photographic moment for me. But I must confess, looking into the eyes of my new granddaughter is a beautiful thing. Consider inviting beauty in to your life more regularly. Recognize and embrace the fulfillment and connectedness it provides, and slow down long enough to savor it. Like a fine wine or a great meal, beauty can’t be rushed. Pause, point and shoot (your camera) and capture the memory to enjoy.
I love to read children's books, blog about children's books and post my reviews.
|
    
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
LadyD Books
Mostly Childrens Books for Review
ladyd-books.blogspot.com
|
|
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
|
 |
|
Diana, this is a 5* in my books. Such a beautiful story and photos. I remember visiting the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls with my daughter and we both had such a wonderful time. Isn't nature wonderful and miraculous!
Happy New Year.
Rosemary
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Sounds like a wonderful outing together in Niagra Falls. Yes, I marvel at the beauty and wonderment of creation.
Thanks Rosemary for your kind words. Happy New Year!
Hi, Diana,
Beauty is one of the most abundant aspects of life on Earth. There is absolutely nothing in which beauty cannot be found - you just have to be open to the idea.
From my blind father I learned the beauty in the scarred surface of tree bark, in the soft underside of some leaves, in the sweet aroma of clover or the acrid stench of efluent, the human voice can be over loaded with beauty as can the roar of a powerful machine or the gentle tapping of a beetle's feet.
Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder - beauty simply is.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Wow, you are a FINE word crafter and I so much appreciate your observation of just being still and communing with beauty all around. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year!
Beauty is so important I enjoy it most when it appears in nature. This is a wonderful Intel to publish on New Years Day. What if we made it our Resolution to look for beauty every day of 2011?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
What a healthy New Year's Resolution for us to choose to look for beauty every day of 2011. June, thank you and Happy New Year!
Diana, you have worded this intel straight from the heart, I can tell. You feel what you are talking about in every word and it comes through in your very descriptive writing.
You are right of course, there is beauty all around us - we just have to take off the blindfolds and see.
A wonderful intel and very much savoured by me!
 | | Barb Jan 1, 2011 21:11 | |
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
I am passionate about life and I love people. Thanks Barb; you are a beautiful person and I thank you for your kindness.
Happy New Year!
The copyright for this content entitled "Beauty All Around " has been specified by the contributor as:
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0
Details 
This content may be copied and distributed (but not modified), as long as a) it's for non-commercial use and b) the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://ladyd.qondio.com/
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by LadyD
LadyD
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
