Little Beauties

Beautiful tulips from the north west coast of Tasmania

This week I’ve been working on the interior of the companion workbook to Boots That Fit. In Boots That Fit I have a whole lot of activities to help you find the special creative way that you can serve God and the world and to make the time to do that thing in your daily life. I thought that it would be good to have a workbook with all the activities spelled out. It has spaces set out for you to write and/or draw in, a time tracker where you can track your time for a week, a list that you can use to help you find the values that you hold most dear, and all sorts of other helpful and interesting stuff. 

So it needs to be pretty. It needs to be something that will be fun to fill out and that will capture your attention. It needs to be beautiful.

I’ve been working on it all week and I think it is beautiful. It’s been so much fun to sit here at my desk and create something that I think is gorgeous, something that I just want to show the world. 

‘Look! Look at the thing I made! Isn’t it beautiful?!’

It has made me think that we all need beauty in our lives. That beauty lifts our spirits and fills us with joy. That beauty can help us through really hard times.

We find beauty in nature. I will never forget the stunning beauty of the Grand Canyon – the colours, the depth, the immensity of it. But even the smallest things in nature are amazingly beautiful. Have you looked up close at a tiny flower? Just gorgeous. Or listen to the birdsong from small brown birds. They may look dull, but their song is a delight.

Music is beautiful. It can just fill your heart and soul. You can get lost in it.

Poetry and some forms of prose are beautiful. Have you ever read something that made you stop and close your eyes and just dwell in it for a while?

Visual art can be amazingly beautiful. When I was visiting Jess in Canberra once, I went to an art installation of Indigenous art at the National Gallery. We immersed ourselves in oranges and browns, in blues and greens, in the outback and the water and the night sky. It was a delight as well as an educational experience.

I love seeing people share their artwork on Facebook and Instagram. Their talent is amazing, and their work is beautiful.

And you know something else I’m finding beautiful? The interplay of colours in the jumper that I’m knitting. I keep stopping to spread it out and gaze upon it. And then I tell Moz, ‘Look! Isn’t it beautiful?’

Something I’m noticing as I write this is that beauty needs to be shared. Our great desire when we see something or experience something beautiful is to share it with someone. To exclaim, ‘Look! Look at this! It’s gorgeous!’

So beauty doesn’t just lift our spirits, it also builds community and connection.

I encourage you to fill your life with some beauty today. Why don’t you intentionally either look for beauty around you or create something beautiful to share with others?

It’s going to make your day better!

What are you finding beautiful at the moment? I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a note at ruth@ruthamos.com.au or find me at Ruth Amos Author on Facebook or @aquietlifeblog on X. And feel free to pass this blog on to anyone who would find it helpful.

The summer holidays are almost upon us and I’ll be taking a small break from the blog and podcast. To make sure you don’t miss me when I come back, sign up to my newsletter at ruthamos.com.au and you’ll get an email as soon as I’m back to work.