Beauty hides in funny places!

It is easy to enjoy beautiful things and happy times in life, but when we can see the beauty in the ordinary, a whole world opens up. There is a richness within the every day moments, a courage that we cannot know until challenged and a potent stillness within chaos that is available for everyone. There is value in embracing each small piece of each new day. 

To spend our time waiting for only the highs, the amazing, the fabulous and the fun is to spend a lifetime watching from the sideline. It is a comfortable place to be though, very few mistakes can be made until the cracks start. All the things that are not ideal can start to make us grumpy, annoyed, discontent and jealous. 

There is another way. When the intention is set to enjoy the whole ride, the whole ride reveals itself like a peacock opening its tail feathers. I can remember heading on a holiday with my brother Chris, who is one of my greatest mentors. We were about to embark on a 25 hr flight and I couldn't wait to get there to see my younger brother and his fiancé, who had been travelling many years. Before the plane left the tarmac Chris said, 'Ok, we are going to enjoy every single part of this week, including the waiting, the lining up, the stop overs in airports and everything in between.' Still today I can remember that holiday in great detail and I have taken that same attitude into many situations. 

Beauty hides in funny places but so many wonderful experiences can be overlooked because we are so busy longing to be onto the next great adventure. When the ordinary is appreciated and the hard times are recognised as opportunities for growth and renewal, the good times become all the more wonderful. I don't want to wait for a reason to smile, I want a smile because a whole world has opened us before my very eyes. nh