Scholars in the area of Aesthetics define it as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature". People who are aesthetic often dwell on the beauty of every day life all day long. They see the beauty in everything around them. They find the beauty in the things that most people miss. They reflect on that beauty. They never stop looking for it.
To live aesthetically would help us not miss the simple things. Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts is a perfect way to start living aesthetically. She challenges people to keep a journal and write down throughout the day the simple things that bring you joy or help you see beauty. She is an amazing writer who encourages everyone to see what we normally miss.
"If the stars only came out once a year, we would surely stay out all night to watch them. But they're out there every night, and we have become accustomed to them." ~Paraphrased quote, author Anonymous.
The things all around us -- the beautiful things -- are there all the time. The simple things we never even think twice about. We've become accustomed to the things that should mean a lot to us. All around us lie these things that we could put our focus on. To live aesthetically means to reflect on the beauty. God gave us these things in life to think about, to dwell on, to put our focus on.
When life gets overwhelming, take a deep breath and watch the stars. They're never going anywhere. They'll always be there, you've just become accustomed to those things that always around you. Don't miss a beautiful moment because you're wrapped up in schedule. Keep a journal of all the beautiful things you notice. All those simple things that you never noticed before.
Take some time to learn something new, to study something you really love. Take the time to "smell the roses" and "look up at the stars". Someday you might just wake up and realize how much you wasted on doing the stuff that never really matters in the end. Do something today that counts. Live aesthetically...
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