BeautyI’m in Oregon right now. This area around Sisters and Bend is beautiful. Each breath feels like you are drawing in Nature, pure and sweet. Add to that being surrounded by dear friends and as you can probably imagine, I am feeling a lot of gratitude!

I am on an adventure! I can’t tell you much about that yet, because the weekend workshop I am here for begins today. But I already know that ‘Beauty’ is a huge part of what is unfolding.

Last night we were hosted by Lawrence and Sunni Stoller at their enchanted home. Every inch of their home and property was stunning. Lawrence is an amazing artist and lapidary. His crystal creations are beyond imagination. His sculptures inspire and amaze. If you are not familiar with his work, google him!

His first book “Frozen Light” is one of my favorite coffee table books. And he is working on his second, which promises to be even more amazing. I got to see some of it last night from his computer screen. Breathtaking is a great way to describe it. And it is about Beauty!

Suddenly I am reminded once again about the power of Beauty.

It moves us. It inspires us. It motivates us. And we choose it.

We all see beauty in our own unique way. What speaks to us of beauty may be completely different or missed by someone else. The effect of Beauty is instantaneous. It shifts us. It is a graceful and effortless way to access our emotions. It also connects us to a deep knowing of ourselves. Something that is beyond the mind choosing. Instead it is a tug that is felt and known from our hearts.

Years ago I was in a retreat where we had to stand in front of the room and respond to questions from the others in the group. Some of the things we were asked to do seemed juvenile or silly. However at the end, everyone would hold up paddles with words that were suppose to describe their experience of us. The essence of who we are.

The main word that people revealed that was meant to represent me was ‘Beauty’.

In that moment I was so disappointed and deflated. As a guy navigating the corporate world, the LAST thing I wanted to be seen or perceived as was beauty! When I saw that word, I immediately interpreted it to mean passive, weak, feminine, intangible and any number of limiting words or thoughts.

This weekend I am grateful for the memory of that week, from so many years ago. To recognize how much my life has shifted and changed. To realize how much the magic of beauty inspires me. Who knows if I were to do the same exercise again today if I would see the same results. Yet I know that somewhere Beauty is part of the essence of all of us. And today.., I can own my Beauty. I love being moved and impacted by the beauty that is all around me.

How about you? How are you experiencing and sharing your beauty? You know as well as I do that it is one of the best words to describe you! You are Beauty.

With Light, Love, and Laughter
Charles