Looking for the Beauty in Things

Awe-inspired, Pebble Beach, CA.

In life, when we need strength, motivation and inspiration, we've got to be able to find the beauty, the best part, in things. There have been so many sad things happening - friends losing loved ones, friends in duress, and more - it can be difficult to find beauty in the world at all. I've found when I'm stressed or in need of a reminder that there's something out there bigger than myself, sometimes the best place to look is out the window. And then, to take comfort in sharing what you've seen and how you feel with a friend. Or many, many friends.

There have been times I've been in inexplicable awe of what's around me. When Tiffany, Candace and I were en route to Rainier Base Camp in August, I got good laughs out of both of them the whole way there. I'd look out the car window and mumble "holy moly." It's all I could say. I got the same feeling this morning on a run by the beach in Pacific Grove, California. The sound of the waves rushing toward land, drowning out every other sound around me, the sea salt air, and the sheer power of the ocean. I stopped dead in my tracks and just stared. Then I decided I needed to write about it, if for no other reason than to remember it.

Lately, I've been trying to channel that awe-inspiring, heart-consuming feeling and committing it to memory for use when I really need it. When I'm climbing outside, (which sadly hasn't happened in a little while), sometimes I'll be so scared and feel so vulnerable. But taking a moment to feel the rock under my fingers, breathe deeply, and realize that despite the exposure and vulnerability, being up high might mean I can see from a vantage point I couldn't before. It's about finding the beauty in things.

Nature is restorative, we know this, and right now, I'm incredibly lucky to have easy access to it on the Central Coast of California. I'm certainly trying to make the most of it, banking as many awe-inspiring moments, like the run this morning, as I can. And as much as I can draw on those moments for inspiration on my own, for a smile when I really need it, the best part is being able to share it with others. They'll often find beauty where I can't, or even find more inspiration in a moment than I do. The important part is to make sure that no matter what happens, we keep looking.