Friday, July 26, 1996

Beauty

What to the mind is shameful
is beauty and nothing else to the heart.
-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Beauty cannot be truly owned, or even adequately defined. It is completely subjective, and often fleeting. It is free and it is costly. It has the ability to inspire. No one can really say what beauty is, but everyone knows it when they see it.

Beauty has its physical manifestations, but it goes far beyond the material world.

Beauty talks in the language of the heart. The magnificence of a sunset, or of a violin concerto, cannot be adequately conveyed in words. Just as food nourishes our body, beauty nourishes our spirit. It inspires and challenges us to do great things.

People of great wealth and accomplishment often surround themselves with beauty. Those who have no need or desire to impress anyone else choose to impress themselves with beauty. Perhaps, just perhaps, that’s part of how they got where they are.

But you don’t need to be rich or powerful to enjoy the sublime pleasure of beauty. The only thing you need is the willingness to appreciate the beauty that is already around you -- in nature, in other people, in works of art, architecture, music and literature.

In a world where creativity and innovation are essential in every aspect of life, beauty is a powerful fuel for successful living.

— Ralph Marston

The agony of victory Remember to live your life today next

Copyright ©1996 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.