Beauty and Belonging

I’m wondering how many of us are aware, like Albert Einstein in the above quote, of “belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty and justice.” Do you sense that you belong to this invisible community? If so, what’s the truth you strive for? Where and how do you see and experience this beauty? What kind of justice do you seek and for whom?

As I open and hold space with these questions I begin to understand, to stand under and look into them from a different angle than the normal ‘over-standing’ of my calculative mind. By standing under beauty and belonging I’m able to more readily enter into them, become part of them and more fully participate in and through them.

So much of what we experience in life is illusory and conditioned. Looking from a different perspective can change the entire picture and meaning of what we’re observing through our five senses. As we move to our sixth sense and beyond there’s a shift in perception. Here we can feel beauty and belonging sitting alone on top of a mountain and standing in the midst of a crowd. Here we can see beyond the surface into the depths. This changes everything . . .

Some would say that truth is truth, justice is justice, beauty is beauty and belonging is belonging which, when I’m under-standing, I can agree with. When I’m over-standing however, I’m making judgements that sift, sort, divide and evaluate which pits my judgements against yours and any others that dis-agree with me. What are you sensing here? Could we say that under-standing comes from the heart while over-standing comes from the head?

Beauty and belonging seem to fit into the under-standing of our heart space. When we see beauty and belonging from this place there is no debate, no contradiction. It simply belongs to us and anyone else who resonates with the same energy. We’re calmly experiencing our heart’s view. Where do you belong? What’s your discernment? Which do give more attention to: Your over-standing calculative mind or your intuitive under-standing heart mind?

We all make evaluations concerning beauty, belonging, truth, justice and a host of other important issues. The focus on beauty and belonging is given here because of how they impact our lives and our cultural conditions. It’s my belief that beauty and belonging are two of the ultimate mysteries of Life that have meaning for everyone. We all belong to visible and invisible communities of Life and we are all influenced by what we consider beauty to be and not to be.

What if beauty and belonging both have something to do with heart and soul? What if we were to reorient our perceptions based on open hearts, open minds and deep soul? What if self-acceptance, believing that you’re enough and the courage to be your Authentic Self were products of an inner knowing of your innate beauty and belonging? Do you sense that this would make a difference? What if we all knew the depth of our essential beauty and belonging?

As I traverse the many highways and byways of human experience I continually observe the angst of not belonging and not recognizing the beauty within ourselves and others. So many so often make choices based on their perceived lack of beauty and belonging rather than on their ever present abundance of it. Beauty and belonging are places of the heart and soul that are innate to each person born into this realm of being. They’re part of who we truly are . . .

The gold we all contain is searched for by the crowd on the surface of life. Fewer search for it  without and within. Even fewer search for it in the very depths of their hearts. If it’s your desire to know your innate beauty, your invisible and visible belonging, it’s time to look within. As you do, you’ll be able to see it wherever you look. You’ll see with new eyes that view from the heart. You’ll know who you truly are and how magnificent you are from the inside out. You’ll gain a deep under-standing of true beauty and belonging that’s all inclusive. You’ll be free . . .

• Sit silently in the stillness and ‘hold space’ for the beauty of who you truly are. Go within and visualize the radiance of your Inner Being. Feel your interconnectedness with the Cosmos. It will feel warm and peaceful. Feel the vastness of your Being, your Beauty, your Belonging.

• Take a meditative walk this week and give attention to the trees, the bushes, the grass, the other life forms. Notice the dryness, the moistness, and any other contrasts that touch your senses. See through the surface qualities into the heart and soul, into the essence of whatever draws your attention to it. Stop occasionally to give and receive the subtle energy that’s invisibly present in all these forms. Awaken to what you’re longing for. Slow way down.

• Give attention to the image of yourself in a mirror from time to time. Look into your eyes and see the beauty within. See beyond the flesh into the heart of the matter. Sense the invisible community of sentient beings that you belong to. Honor your part in this vast community of Life. Appreciate the wonder and beauty of your belonging, your common bonds . . .

• Send a silent message of beauty and belonging to strangers and friends with a smile. Let them know of their significance and worth by your loving companion presence. The energy of a heartfelt smile always increases awareness of beauty and belonging. And finally, appreciate who you are at your depths. You are one of a kind. You are beautiful. You belong here . . .