A Year of Beauty
Hey Friends!
It’s been a WHOLE YEAR of my #somethingbeautifuleveryday posts.
And so, so much has changed since that first post.
Here’s the story, including tips for noticing your own #somethingbeautifuleveryday and the two new hashtags I’ll be adding to my posts this year.
Last March I took a month off from my job as the Director of Programs for the Anthroposophical Society in America. I am so thankful to my 2021 self for having the guts (and wisdom) to ask for that much time away. It felt like an impossible feat to put my work (read vocation) aside, but led to other courageous life decisions.
Social media was fun for me in the past with little “mommy confessional” videos of my messy car, the laundry, toys everywhere, etc. I was always posting something to reassure folx that we all face life challenges.
But in March 2021 I looked back at those videos and wondered, “Where has my life force gone?” Those days of silly fun seemed so long ago. How could I renew my energy, my sense of life, my joy?
On February 18, 2021 I took my first picture of the California sky, with a pond and fountain in the foreground. And then I found the hashtag #somethingbeautifuleveryday.
Everyday?!
Could I commit?
The very next day I missed my post. But I had committed to other daily activities, like meditation and brushing my teeth. So why not this?
I decided that the pictures had to be:
Unplanned—Something that touched me and struck me as beautiful in the moment.
No filters.
Taken the same day I posted them.
I kept going. Everyday. And things changed within me.
Here is what I’ve learned and noticed from doing these posts each day:
I try to be present with the subject of my photo.
Not just see something pretty and snap a shot of it, but rather really appreciate it.
I look with my eyes and my heart and then take the picture.
This is easier some days than others! It depends on how present I am and how occupied my mind is with work, or the slow leak in my tire, or my changing life situation. When I can be present with the subject of my photo, it feels amazing.
I can feel my soul/heart in the moments I take these photos. It pushes through the camer towards the subject. And magically, and the Connection happens.
I can tell when I am taking a quick shot, and when I am connected.
This is the same with my kids and hubby.
It’s very different when my connection is fleeting and I am just doing it to get it done, and when I really appreciate them--SEE them.
I noticed that during the day I would start to think about what I could photograph today. I did not like this planning, but then I thought, “Wait--am I planning for beauty?”
That might be OK!
I didn’t often take the pictures I imagined taking because something else beautiful showed up, but it felt akin to waking up and imagining my day going well. A “manifestation” practice in many spiritual paths.
I started feeling good about what I was doing. Like it was a spiritual practice.
Since that first post, my life has changed radically. I left my job, began offering workshops, started my new podcast That Good May Become, worked on being present for my partner and children (ongoing work!), and have been co-creating courses like Healing Impulse: Antidotes to Trauma and the Stressors of our Time.
I’m also much clearer about my work. I’m here to disrupt materialism, the force that deadens and severs our connection to ourselves, each other, and the Earth. And I’m here to help you all connect with the most living things in life.
I’ll be adding to new hashtags to my posts. #disruptmaterialsm and #themostlivingthingsinlife. I hope you’ll join me in taking a stand on behalf of humanity, love, meaning, and a life full of life.
With love,
Laura
Follow me @laura_scappaticci
