A Beautiful Challenge

We live in a dark and broken world. It’s scared with bitterness, divisiveness and disdain. There is a lot of ugliness littering our society – literally and figuratively. 

BUT … I still firmly believe that …

… there is so much good in this world. 

… there is so much joy, virtue and bliss. 

… there is so much … beauty. 

We just have to find it, and I’ve been challenging people to do this for the last six years.  

“Find the Beauty” … I started putting those three words on images during the height of Covid. During my quarantine walks around the property, I would look for things that I thought were beautiful and I would take a photo of them. Before I shared my images on social media, this powerful charge – “Find the Beauty” – intentionally found its way onto the pics in a brush script font. 

There were photos of the sun rising over the Brazos River.

There were photos of flowers, trees and birds. 

There was a photo of my daughter sleeping, my dog looking goofy and regal at the exact same time and some of my unfinished artwork looking … unfinished. 

Again … if I thought it was beautiful, I captured it and shared it with my “friends.” 

Why did I start doing this?

Let me copy and paste the first paragraph of this blog post: We live in a dark and broken world. It’s scared with bitterness, divisiveness … 

This was especially true in the spring and summer of 2020, and I didn’t want to empower the pandemic demons and feed the uncertainty. 

As I would take daily walks around the property, God started to show up and show out in the most beautiful ways. I started to be intentional about what received my focus and attention. 

I wanted to celebrate the sun beams slicing through the clouds at dusk. 

I wanted to acknowledge the way the shadows cloaked an unassuming sculpture in an interesting and dramatic way. 

I wanted to appreciate the beautifully simple things in life, like a half dozen eggs resting unharmed in a nest … the American flag gently waving in the breeze … or a mural making the side of a building come to life.

“Find the Beauty.” 

Again, this started during Covid and I’ve continued to do it sporadically over the last six years. This week, I posted a tranquil photo of Memorial Lane in Granbury, Texas. It was at dusk. The way the lights hit the bronze sculpture forced me to stop and reflect. It was beautiful and I wanted to share it. 

So, why do I keep doing this?

Because I want you to find the beauty too. I want to inspire you to turn a blind eye to the ugliness and focus on the wonderfully great things in this world. I promise … they’re there. 

But it doesn’t stop with just acknowledging the beauty; the ripple effects are where the magic happens. 

I want the pink hue of a summer sunset to inspire you to stop and pray…

I want the mysterious shadows created by the hot glow of a camp fire to make you cherish the simple things in life…  

I want a heart-shaped leaf or rock carefully placed in your path to remind you that love wins.

“Find the Beauty.” 

This powerful charge has shown up in other ways too. This is probably the most profound: In all of my leadership development classes, we focus on wins – big or small. We also celebrate those wins, each person clapping it out as their peers share. 

I also make my coaching clients do this at the beginning of every one-on-one session. 

The way I frame it up: “We live in a world where people hold on to a loss with both hands and refuse to let go, but when they experience a win – even a big win – they downplay it and say ‘oh … that’s not a big deal’ or ‘oh … I just got lucky this time.’ ”

Again, I simply want them to change their perspective and focus on the good. I want them to stop focusing on the doom and gloom, the hate, bitterness, sin, meanness and gossip. Stop giving their attention to deceit, hatred, greed, lust, dishonesty, prejudice and suffering.

 I want them – and you –  to  “Find the Beauty.”

How do you do this?

The answer is super simple … get your head out of the sand (a.k.a. from behind your phone) and look around. Be still. Be aware. Be a noticer. Again, the beauty is there. We just have to look for it.

We also have to stop taking it for granted. 

A few years ago, I wrote a song. I was inspired by some of my friends on the Texas Music scene and a sun rise on the eastern plains of New Mexico. I was driving back to Texas from the Red River Songwriter Festival. The sky was ablaze, highlighted by the pinkest pink.

I wanted to close down this blog post with that song, “My Rose.” Maybe it’s not a song – maybe it’s more of a poem – but it’s definitely a reminder to open our eyes and stop taking all the beauty in this world for granted. 

My Rose

She’s always up before the sun – and she kisses the day goodbye;

She dances on a stage of blue, gold and gray, but she never fails to catch my eye.

She’s my Rose.

A kiss of hope,

Delivering a spark from the smile that she evokes,

Giving me perspective from above;

A constant reminder that I am loved;

She’s my Rose.

The reflection of day long gone –

A moment, a feeling or an ol’ familar song;

She’s my Rose.

The story of my Rose is common - while still tragic and sad.

Rose fights for my attention in a world gone mad.

She is usually gone before I rise; A fire pushes her away.

I wake – longing for her reminder. She vanishes into a blue-white haze.

Weeks and months turn to years,

And I continue to sleep – don’t hear

Rose whispering loudly –

Today will be better. 

She’s my Rose.

A kiss of hope,

Delivering a spark from the smile that she evokes,

Giving me perspective from above;

A constant reminder that I am loved;

She’s my Rose.

The reflection of day long gone –

A moment, a feeling or an ol’ familar song;

She’s my Rose.

At the end of the day,  she returns chasing the darkness.

But I lie to my soul – and the ignorance divides us.

Only a fierce storm or gloom will keep her away for a while.

The false hope of tomorrow paralyzes me - and the devil smiles.

Under the cloak of night – she’s gone again.

The same twilight grips me and hides my sin.

She’s my Rose.

A kiss of hope,

Delivering a spark from the smile that she evokes,

Giving me perspective from above;

A constant reminder that I am loved;

She’s my Rose.

The reflection of day long gone –

A moment, a feeling or an ol’ familar song;

She’s my Rose.

If I’m ignoring my Rose - what else do I miss;

Am I asleep at the wheel, swimming in a lifeless abyss.

There aren't many like my Rose  – just a few;

I have to find her tomorrow when the day is anew.

Or maybe as the sun races towards the horizon,

I’ll let her whisper goodnight.