We’ve all heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Literally, it means whatever one person sees as beautiful IS beautiful. And we know this to be true, there are so many different attributes people see as beautiful, and they aren’t all the same! Some people like blonde hair, others like red, brown and still others prefer brunette…straight, wavy, curly, long medium, short. Some people prefer purple, others think green is the color, others like orange best. Some people like muscular, other’s don’t. People tend to a have vastly different criteria for what they believe is beautiful. Another interesting saying is “Beauty is only skin deep.” This one tends to refer to character rather than actual physical beauty. And there are just as many personality trait favorites as physical ones.
We tend to think of beauty as something that is pretty, lovely, attractive and pleasing to the eye. BUT, there’s more than just sight that needs to be pleased! Let’s take a look at the actual definition of the word “beauty.” Merriam Webster defines “beauty” as, “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.” Add a definition for the word “beautiful,” “generally pleasing,” and you can get a sense that both words can also mean beauty with regards to something not necessarily seen, like beauty that strikes our mind, heart, soul, or maybe even our spirit. I think we can all agree that what is generally pleasing to the eye is not always pleasing to these other aspects of our selves, and that’s worth noting!
Take for instance a beautiful plant or flower. We expect it to be very wonderfully fragrant, but that’s not always so. What surprises may lurk within the walls of a beautiful house, which could be hiding a money pit of repairs. A nice looking car could cost us a fortune in repairs, as well. Or, what about a beautiful person with an angry disposition? All of these may be pleasing to the eye, but none would fulfill other parts of our being. BUT, I think we could all agree that a sweet smelling flower, a nice sturdy home, a solidly built car or someone with a wonderful personality, regardless of outward appearance, can touch more than just our eyes, protecting us from disaster. Also, looking past the aesthetically pleasing could reach our very soul and spirit…the true essence of who we are. What can be more fulfilling than that?
We live in an age of where almost nothing physical is out of reach. Car, home, things, person, but we are always searching, never satisfied. Why?
We are complex beings and to satisfy us, we need more than beauty that we can see. We need beauty that touches our mind, heart, soul…our spirit! Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we all started looking with not just our eyes, but our entire being? Oh, what we would be able to sense…to feel on a cellular level! Looking with just our eyes can be fun, but it can also be deceiving. Looking with our entire being, now there’s how we will find true beauty!
One Sacred Soul 