Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What that means is we determine whether a person, place, thing or experience has the quality of beauty. And as much beauty as we can imagine, claim and accept, that’s how much beauty we can experience in our lives. This is what we believe, that our thoughts create our experience in this life. As we think, no matter what our thoughts are – and a lot of our thoughts are unconscious – the Law is always saying yes, always working on our behalf. There’s no judgement about right or wrong, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, the Law is impersonal – it doesn’t pick and choose, it only responds to whatever is impressed upon it.
Dr. Ernest Holmes said, “Not only is there a Presence within us which directly responds to us; there is also a Law operating through us which obeys the will of this Presence. Since this Presence is Peace, Joy and Beauty, and since It must be Harmony and Wholeness, we may be sure that these qualities seek expression through our activities, seek manifestation in everything that we do, say and think. (Living the Science of Mind, page 115.)
“The Presence” Dr. Holmes refers to is that Presence within us, our own individualized expression of the Divine. The “will of this Presence” is our thought, conscious and unconscious. This is the creative process – what we think goes into the creative medium of the Universe, or the Law, and is demonstrated in our lives. Almost every Sunday during the Offertory we sing “Our Thoughts Are Prayers and we are always praying.” We are always thinking and the Law responds. We just need to remember that we have the Power to choose our thoughts and to know that Peace, Joy and Beauty are seeking expression though us, as us – each and every one of us – through all that we do, say and think.
So the question is, what are we thinking about? What are we giving our attention to? How are we looking at the world? On our journey, are we taking the scenic route? Some might argue that the scenic route isn’t the fastest way to get somewhere, but I would argue that it’s a fast way to deepen your connection to your inner self. Every day, we get to choose how we see life.
Imagine you’re on your way to work or running an errand. You’re on a paved road. There might be some potholes you need to avoid, there are definitely signs along the road you’ll need to pay attention to, maybe you pass by a Quicky Mart or a gas station – there’s a lot to look at!
Now imagine looking up. You see a bright blue sky – what I call “blue-tiful” – with a few white clouds drifting by the sun, maybe some birds flying around and in picture you see some large green trees reaching up toward the sky, painted on this scenic vision.
All we had to do was to shift our attention and nature’s beauty is there for us to see and appreciate. The pavement and the signs are still there and it’s important to notice them, but it’s just as important to look for the beauty, for the good, for the Divine that is among us, surrounding us, within us. That’s what touches our soul and awakens us to Life’s magnificence.
You might say, “But Reggie, you don’t understand, you don’t know what I’m going through. How can I see Beauty when this or that is happening in my life?” And you’re right, I don’t know what you’re going through. But what I know about you is that there is a Goodness and Wholeness and Beauty within you that is always present and is always seeking expression; there is a Power within you that cannot be stopped, cannot be blocked.
We can consciously choose empathy and compassion instead of apathy and hatred. We can choose love and acceptance instead of fear and discrimination. We can expect to see a beautiful soul in everyone around us even when they’re not seeing it in themselves.
The wise sage, Bob Sima, says it best “That beautiful world we’re trying to find, we’re only gonna get there when we change on the inside.” This is the basis of our teaching.
Going through practitioner training has blessed me with the opportunity to really look at my own thoughts and beliefs and this is what I know: changing our thoughts absolutely changes our lives. It’s not going to all change over night (unless it does) but the first step is to figure out what part of the picture we’re focusing on. Find the good and the beautiful in every aspect of your life; appreciate it and more of that which you give your attention to will show up – it’s the Law!
Rumi said “Beauty surrounds us but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” Take the scenic route – let your entire Life be the garden in which you see beauty all around you.
