Different Beauties

For the last few years I've really started to explore.  Maybe because I've been getting more curious...about myself...and also what's outside of my self.  I go on trips now, and these trips I go on are just for me.  I'm usually on my own, by design.  I treasure these days and moments with myself, wherever they may be.  

I find that when I'm solo, my mind has a chance to be quiet, and when I actually find stillness, I find the best little nuggets of wisdom that end up changing my life.

At first, I was nervous honestly - it takes courage I didn't know about to go and be by myself - what will come up?  But over these last years, I learned that what I uncover on these trips only and ever make me better somehow.  Perhaps more importantly, I have learned to seriously love my own company - I really do.  If you happen to run into me on one of these trips, you'll find me singing to myself, laughing out loud, getting lost down winding roads and connecting with strangers - the little joy of life stuff.

It was one of these little life joy moments that happened this morning that I'm feeling particularly grateful for at the moment.  

Just this morning I met a very interesting man.  We were talking about simple things, and then he said something that stopped my mind - he said that as you go through life, everything is beautiful, they are just different beauties.  Different beauties. 

He didn't mean anything by it, but for some reason it hit me hard in that moment - so hard that I wrote it down and it ended up changing the way I looked at everything today.  From the crashing waves to the boarded up old church in a corner; from the pristine new hotel to the rusted boat in the dock yard - indeed, everything is beautiful, just different.  

And of course, because I'm me and this is how I think about things, I immediately wanted to relate it back to something deep and meaningful and lasting.  Something I could feel and take with me (can't help myself but be a lifelong Overture student).  And I realized that this simple comment from a well-traveled taxi driver could change not only my day, but also be a constant reminder to be present and open to different beauties each day, all around me.  

Beauties I may have missed.  Simple, different beauties that could, one day, change my life.