“When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery, you return to rhythm with yourself. When you take the time to travel with reverence, a richer life unfolds before you. Moments of beauty begin to braid your days.”
― John O’Donohue, Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace
I’ve been an official resident in Paris for three days now, and there are many things I love about this city. A colleague warned me that Paris is currently the most expensive city to live in the world at the moment. True the square footage one gets for euros is minimal, but one of the things I love most costs nothing.
It is seeing beauty everywhere I turn in everyday life. This is in the architectural styles of the buildings, the charm of the passages lined with stone streets, people taking their time to sip their coffees and people watch, the fashion on the streets, and the diversity of the residents and tourists that gravitate here, and the appreciation of indulgence. I was walking my dogs this morning on Rue Cler, a historical market street. The shops were just opening, but I found this mundane morning stroll was electrified with beauty. I walked by the aromas of a fromagerie, a luxurious chocolate shop, fresh bright seasonal fruit, the rainbow colors of a local florist, Lauderee the infamous macaroon shop, a store specializing in whole rotisserie chickens, a luring boulangerie, and the Christmas lights that lined the street. Residents of all ages were beginning their morning either picking up a baguette, walking their dog off leash or their child to school, or pausing for a croissant and latte. I didn’t have to buy anything to inhale the luxury, but I realized that simply having beauty exist in my atmosphere inspires me to want to live a creative beautiful life.
Regardless of where I have chosen to live or travel to, beauty is a top priority. Beauty definitely exists in the natural scenery we witness among scenic mountain landscapes, ocean backdrops, or soft pastel sunsets. But beauty can also be found in heightening all of our senses. We don’t have to live or eat in excess, we can simply bear witness and inhale the beauty the lures us.
It Only Takes A Smile 